More than 8,000 passengers stranded at Jeju airport after flights cancelled due to heavy snowfall

Severe weather conditions amid the ongoing arctic cold snap in South Korea have led to nationwide disruptions, including flight operations at Jeju International Airport.

More than 8,000 departing passengers were stalled at the airport after the runway was suspended on Friday (Dec 22) morning due to heavy snowfall and strong winds, reported The Korea Herald.

The move led to the cancellation of more than 260 flights to and from Jeju Island as of Friday afternoon. They included 137 domestic arrivals and 122 departures.

The airport resumed operation after more than 7 hours after the completion of snow removal operations on the runway, The Korea Herald added, citing the Jeju airport.

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The news agency added that actual flight times still vary although airport operations have resumed as the wings and fuselages of aircraft need to be defrosted.

In response to CNA queries, Scoot said a flight from Singapore to Jeju was diverted to Fukuoka due to arrival restrictions at Jeju International Airport.

Flight TR812 landed in Fukuoka at 12.45pm and subsequently departed Fukuoka about two hours later after refuelling and landed in Jeju at 4.05pm, said the airline.

COLD WAVE "PEAKED"

The cold wave peaked on Friday morning, reported Yonhap news agency, with the mercury plunging to -14.7 degrees Celsius in Seoul. 

Many other regions recorded far lower minimum temperatures than the capital, including Gangwon Province, which registered morning lows of below -20 degrees Celsius, according to weather authorities.

Strong winds with speeds of over 55kmh reinforced the cold feeling in most regions, added Yonhap.

There was also damage done across the country due to the weather, with more than 200 cases of frozen and broken water meters, including 90 in Seoul as of 11am, according to Yonhap.

Heavy snowfall also affected the operation of 46 passenger ships on 38 routes and entry to 91 trails at six national parks, reported Yonhap.

It also caused traffic accidents, stranded vehicles and fall-related injuries.