A snow-blanketed hill in the southern part of Gyeonggi Province on Thursday. (Elise Youn/The Korea Herald)

A heavy snowstorm forced schools in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province to delay classes or close temporarily, as a crippling snowfall paralyzed much of South Korea on Thursday.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education announced that it had advised approximately 4,700 schools under its jurisdiction — including kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools — to consider delaying class hours or temporarily closing at their discretion.

Some schools, such as Munwon Elementary School in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, decided to close for the day, citing safety concerns from the snowstorm, including the risk of traffic accidents and slip-and-fall injuries. Nearby Munwon Middle School delayed its start time to 9:30 a.m.

With up to 40 centimeters of snow recorded in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, heavy snow advisories were issued for 21 cities in the province, while the remaining 10 cities were placed under snow warnings. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, an advisory is issued when snowfall is expected to reach 5 centimeters or more within 24 hours, while a warning is issued when it is expected to exceed 20 centimeters.

The southern part of Gyeonggi Province is forecast to experience more snow and rain throughout the day, with additional snowfall and precipitation expected across the nation, including parts of North and South Chungcheong Provinces, North and South Jeolla Provinces and Jeju Island.

A snow-covered road in the southern part of Gyeonggi Province on Thursday. (Elise Youn/The Korea Herald)