(LEAD) Cold wave alert issued for Seoul, eastern regions

▲ This photo taken Nov. 20, 2023, shows a person wearing fur gloves amid cold weather in Seoul. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) cold wave-warning

(LEAD) Cold wave alert issued for Seoul, eastern regions

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead with advisory issuance; ADDS more details throughout)

SEOUL, Nov. 23 (Yonhap) -- A cold wave advisory was issued for Seoul and some eastern regions of South Korea on Thursday as the temperature is forecast to fall sharply the following day, the weather agency said.

The cold wave advisory took effect for all of Seoul at 9 p.m. Thursday, as the morning low is expected to drop by more than 10 degrees to minus 3 C on Friday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The advisory was also issued for the city of Chuncheon and the adjacent regions in Gangwon Province, as well as the southeastern port city of Busan, it added.

The advisory is issued when the morning low comes below minus 12 C for more than two consecutive days, or when the temperature drops more than 10 C to below minus 3 C.

Some central regions and the southern resort island of Jeju are forecast to see some rain or snow early Friday, the KMA said, adding that the cold spell is forecast to continue through the weekend.

The interior ministry raised the warning level against the cold wave by one notch from "attention" to "caution" and held an emergency meeting with relevant ministries to devise measures to prevent potential damage.

The Seoul metropolitan government activated emergency plans to brace for the cold spell, including beefing up the monitoring of facilities and potential damage and extending support for the elderly and other vulnerable people, officials said.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved