The government elevated its emergency posture by a notch to Level Two as heavy snowfall warnings were extended throughout the country.

According to the interior ministry, the emergency posture was raised as of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, while the heavy snow crisis level was elevated from the second-lowest, “caution,” to the next level, “vigilance.”

Heavy snowfall alerts are currently in place for the central regions, as well as for some inland areas in the south.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters urged government ministries and local governments to thoroughly enforce safety measures to prevent rush-hour traffic congestion and accidents on icy roads.

It also ordered local governments to work with related agencies to actively expand subway and bus operations, while enhancing safety management via the public text messaging system for disasters.