The weather agency issued heavy snow advisories Saturday for Incheon, Daejeon and many other western parts of the country.

The interior ministry also raised the disaster alert level to "caution," the third highest in the four-tier system, as of 7 a.m.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) forecast 5 to 15 centimeters of snow will fall in western parts of South Chungcheong and North and South Jeolla provinces Saturday.

Jeju Island and coastal areas of North and South Jeolla provinces were forecast to receive more than 20 cm of snow.

Incheon, southern parts of Gyeonggi Province and North Chungcheong Province will see 1-5 cm of snow, and Seoul and northern parts of Gyeonggi Province will get up to 1 cm, the KMA said.

The agency issued heavy snow advisories for Incheon, Daejeon, Gwangju, Sejong, South Chungcheong, South Jeolla, North Jeolla and mountainous areas of Jeju Island.

The advisory is issued when more than 5 cm of snow is predicted to accumulate within 24 hours.

The nation was also gripped by a cold wave with temperatures in the morning recording minus 8.4 C in Seoul, minus 7 C in Incheon, minus 6 C in Daejeon, and zero C in Busan.

Daily highs were expected to range between minus 5 C and 5 C.

Cold wave warnings and advisories were issued across the country, including Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, Daegu and Gyeonggi, Gangwon, South and North Chungcheong, North Jeolla and North Gyeongsang provinces.

The advisory is issued when the morning low is expected to fall more than 10 degrees from the previous day to below 3 C or stay below minus 12 C for more than two consecutive days. The warning is issued when the morning low is expected to dive more than 15 C to below 3 C or stay below minus 15 C for more than two consecutive days. (Yonhap)