ANKARA

South Korea recorded the coldest day of the season on Tuesday, with temperatures dropping to minus 25.5 degrees Celsius (-13.9 degrees Fahrenheit) in the capital Seoul and -39.3 degrees Celsius (-38.74 degrees Fahrenheit) in the country's north, local media said.

Morning lows in Seoul dropped to -16.4°C (-2.48°F) and -25.5°C (-13.9°F) in the northern county of Cheorwon, which borders North Korea, according to the state weather agency Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

Heavy snowfall and strong winds were also reported in some areas of the country, causing air carriers to cancel 466 domestic flights as people returned from the Lunar New Year holiday, Yonhap News reported.

The weather also forced the suspension of hundreds of passenger ships across the country, according to the agency.

The KMA also forecasted a low temperature on Wednesday ranging from -9°C (15.8°F) to -23°C (-9.4°F).

Photos released by the weather agency show a blizzard in the city of Jeju on the country's largest island and heavy snowfall in the southwestern city of Gwangju, both of which caused transportation disruptions for travelers returning home after the four-day Lunar New Year holiday.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid