Anchor: A cold snap has caused the mercury to plummet throughout the country, with cold weather alerts already in effect for the central part of the nation set to expand to the southern region.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: A cold snap gripped the nation Thursday, with daytime highs plunging as low as minus eleven degrees Celsius and no more than three degrees Celsius, seven to nine degrees lower than Wednesday.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA), the daytime high in Seoul fell to minus eight degrees, down eight degrees from the previous day, following the year’s first cold weather advisory.

A cold weather alert issued for eastern Gangwon Province and the northern parts of Gyeonggi Province has expanded to include the country’s southern region.

The alert is set to take effect in most parts of the country on Thursday night, the only exceptions being the southernmost island of Jeju and other areas in the southern region.

Morning lows Friday are forecast to drop to minus 12 degrees in Seoul; minus 19 degrees in Chuncheon, and minus 22 degrees in Cheorwon, both in Gangwon Province; and minus 12 degrees in the southeastern city of Daegu. 

Nationwide, temperatures will be between one and seven degrees colder than Thursday.

Friday’s daytime mercury is expected to be higher than Thursday’s, with Seoul expected to post a high of minus two degrees.

But it is likely to feel colder, with winds of around 15 meters per second forecast for most regions.
 
The KMA expects the cold snap to continue through Saturday before seasonal average temperatures return Sunday morning.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.