Nation hit with blistering cold snap after Christmas

Morning temperatures in Seoul fell to minus 11 degrees Celsius on Friday as frigid weather continued to grip the country a day after Christmas, the weather agency said. As of 5 a.m., the temperature fell to minus 10.5 C in the western port city of Incheon, minus 5.5 C in the southwestern city of Gwangju and minus 4.8 C in the southeastern port city of Busan, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Hyangnobong Peak in the eastern mountainous province of Gangwon saw morning temperatures fall to minus 21.3 C, with the apparent temperature at minus 35.3 C. The KMA has issued a cold wave alert for the entirety of Gangwon Province. Nationwide, temperatures are expected to rise to minus 7 to 2 C during the day, with light snow forecast to fall on the coasts of South and North Jeolla provinces and the southern resort island of Jeju.