A cold wave will continue to grip South Korea on Friday with advisories and warnings issued for inland areas of the central region and North Gyeongsang Province.

The mercury in Seoul fell to minus nine-point-one degrees Celsius at around 6 a.m. and is expected to stay at sub-zero temperatures in the afternoon as well. 

Afternoon highs are forecast at between minus two degrees Celsius and six degrees  above zero in the nation.

The cold snap is expected to continue into the weekend, with the morning low in Seoul forecast to slip to minus 14 degrees on Sunday. The freezing weather is projected to let up from Tuesday.

Heavy snow is expected for the western provinces on Saturday, with three to eight centimeters of snow expected for Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces and over ten centimeters for western coastal areas in North Jeolla Province.