PHOTOS Polar vortex grips Korea
People take a stroll despite the cold weather casting long shadows at Gongjicheon Amusement Park in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Jan. 5. YonhapBy Kwon Mee-yooThe mercury has dipped way below freezing this winter and an Arctic cold air mass that swept across the country has been behind the frigid temperatures.Seoul saw temperatures drop to minus 18.6 degrees Celsius, Jan. 8, which was the lowest in 35 years. The lowest-ever temperature recorded in Seoul was minus 19.2 degrees Celsius, Jan. 5, 1986, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration, which began collecting such data in 1980. Buildings in downtown Seoul emit steam Jan. 8, when Seoul experienced its coldest temperature in 35 years at minus 18.6 degrees Celcius. YonhapTemperatures in the mountainous areas of Gangwon Province dropped to nearly minus 30 degrees.The cold spell also blanketed the country in thick snow. Jeju Island received over 50 centimeters of snow last week, with the accumulated snowfall on Mount Halla reaching up to 140 centimeters.Fishing boats stand in the frozen waters of the Geumgwang Reservoir in A
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