Cold weather once again gripped the country Wednesday, with temperatures dipping into the double digits below zero in Seoul and several other areas.

The capital city posted a morning low of minus 10.2 C, while the surrounding cities of Incheon and Suwon saw the mercury drop to minus 9.6 C and minus 9.5 C, respectively, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The weather authorities issued a cold wave advisory for most parts of Gangwon Province in the northeast, one of the country's coldest areas, as temperatures dived to minus 20.4 C in Cheorwon and minus 14.4 C in Pyeongchang.

Temperatures in other major cities across the country were slightly higher but stayed below the freezing point as well.

The morning lows were minus 7.1 C in central Daejeon; minus 5.1 C in southwestern Gwangju; and minus 4.9 C in the southeastern coastal city of Busan.

The KMA said it expects the freezing temperatures to continue into Thursday due to a constant inflow of icy air from the northwest.

The wind chill is 3-9 C lower across the country due to strong winds, it said.

Heavy snowfall has been forecast for the Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces, as well as the western part of South Gyeongsang Province and the southern island of Jeju.

North Jeolla Province, which is under a heavy snow advisory, is expected to receive 14.1 centimeters of snow in its southern county of Sunchang.

Jeju and the easternmost islets of Ulleung and Dokdo are also forecast to receive up to 20 cm of snow.

The snowfall will likely stop in the inlands of Chungcheong and western South Gyeongsang Province later in the afternoon but continue through Thursday on the west coast of South Chungcheong Province and in the Jeolla provinces, the KMA said. (Yonhap)