Vehicles move slowly on a road in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on Thursday (Yonhap)
Commuting has never been easy, but on Thursday morning, it became nearly impossible for some of South Korea's workers, as a severe snowstorm pounded Seoul and its surrounding areas, causing traffic disruptions.
Oh Se-won, a 36-year-old secretary living in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, gave up driving to his office in Pangyo, just south of Seoul, and took the day off. Not only was his car covered in a thick layer of white, but so were the nearby roads blanketed in piles of snow accumulated overnight.
"It was impossible to drive from the parking lot to the nearby intersection because the roads were impassable. Since the snow removal operation had not yet been carried out, the management office at our apartment complex made an announcement asking people to walk on the premises instead of using their cars,” he said.
Where he lives in Cheoin-gu, Yongin, snowfall that had begun Wednesday morning and continued intermittently until Thursday morning accumulated to over 40 centimeters. As of 8 a.m., the accumulated snowfall in cities in southern Gyeonggi Province exceeded 40 centimeters, with Yongin recording 47.5 cm, Suwon 43 cm, and Anyang 40.7 cm.
It was the heaviest snowfall recorded in any November since recordkeeping began.
People wait for buses at a bus stop at Suwon Station amid heavy snowfall on Thursday (Yonhap)
Lim Mi-rae, who commutes from Godeok-dong in Gangseo-gu to Apgujeong, southern Seoul, had no annual leave to take left.
"The bus I usually take from the bus stop in front of my house wasn’t coming. It takes about an hour on foot to get to the subway from my house. I had no other choice but to ask my boss for permission to work from home,” she said.
Some employees who commute via public transportation were late to work due to severe traffic congestion caused by the sudden huge amount of snow.
Ji Jung-hyun who commutes from Hongdae in Seoul’s Mapo-gu to her company in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, left home at 7:30 a.m. but couldn’t arrive at work even after five hours due to delays on the subway and buses.
"Many coworkers were in a similar situation, so our team leader actually suggested that we book accommodation near the office tonight in case the heavy snow persists," according to her.
For some, even the journey to the subway station or bus stop from their homes was a struggle.
Lee, who works for a media company in Seoul, almost couldn't find her way out of her apartment complex in Gwacheon, about 20 kilometers south of Seoul, as the snow had piled up to her ankles.
"When I stepped outside the apartment, I saw my apartment complex’s management staff clearing snow and making a path for people heading to the subway station. I walked along the path they created for residents and saw some cars stuck in the snow," she said.
People navigate snow-covered roads near Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, on Thursday (Yonhap)
There were some parents who took a half-day of leave as they couldn’t send their children to day care in the morning due to the heavy snowfall.
Lee Seo-in, a 32-year-old office worker in Seoul's Seodaemun-gu who has a 2-year-old boy, received a call from her child’s day care around 7:00 a.m., informing her that classes had been postponed because some teachers couldn’t make it to work due to severe traffic congestion.
"I was in a panic. I thought about asking my mom, who lives in Geumcheon-gu, to come over, but it would have been too late by the time she arrived at my house. I had no choice but to take a half day off," she said.
Meanwhile, the Korea Meteorological Administration lifted the heavy snow advisory that had been issued for across Seoul and the central and southern parts of Gyeonggi Province as the snow clouds moved southward.
A vehicle parked in a parking lot at the Seoul Central District Court remains covered in snow on Thursday (Yonhap)
Although the snow had stopped, the effects of the morning’s sudden, record-breaking snowfall still lingered.
Some office workers are experiencing disruptions to their work as afternoon meetings were postponed or canceled due to the snowstorm.
"I had an important lunch scheduled today in Gwanghwamun with officials from a company in Songdo, Incheon, but it was canceled due to the heavy snowfall last night," said Hwang, an office worker in his 30s.
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