A freezing cold snap, accompanied by high winds, swept across South Korea on Friday, with temperatures dipping far below zero in all regions, except the southern resort island of Jeju.

The day's lowest temperatures dropped below minus 10 C in Seoul and central regions and below minus 8 C in southern regions, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.

Seoul's morning low plunged to minus 11.6 C, while low temperatures fell to minus 13.9 C in Dongducheon, just north of the capital; minus 14.4 C in Cheorwon and minus 18.3 C at Daegwallyeong Pass, both in the northeastern province of Gangwon; minus 9.4 C in the central city of Daejeon; and minus 8.2 C in the southwestern city of Jeonju.

But the sensible temperatures are far lower than the official ones, due to strong winds blowing across the country.

The KMA said a high wind advisory was in effect nationwide as of 9 a.m. The maximum instantaneous wind speed will be 84 kilometers per hour in Ansan, just south of Seoul; 101 km per hour on Misiryeong Pass and 90 km on Mount Seorak, both in Gangwon Province; 101 km in the southwestern city of Yeosu; 93 km on the East Sea islets of Dokdo; and 109 km on Jeju Island.

The agency said the highest daily temperatures will also remain below zero in most central and southern regions, while asking residents to stay alert for the risk of falling objects amid sustained high winds.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, 35 cases of facility damage caused by strong winds have been reported nationwide from Wednesday to early Friday morning.

Strong winds with maximum instantaneous speeds reaching above 90 km per hour caused the destruction of building walls, cars and house roofs, among other damage, the office said.

One person was stricken with a cold-related illness, while two people in Seoul and Busan were injured after being hit by wind-blown debris.

It also said there have been 272 cases of freezing and bursting of water meters nationwide, while 42 domestic flights were canceled.

A cargo ship sank in waters off Yeosu around 8:30 a.m., leaving one sailor missing, the office said, noting eight other sailors were all rescued.

Two temporary coronavirus testing stations -- one in Seoul's Yongsan Ward and the other in Gwacheon on the southern outskirts of the capital -- suspended their operations due to wind-related damage. They will resume operations by Saturday.

In Gongju, central South Korea, an apartment with 962 households suffered a power outage for three hours on Thursday afternoon after a transformer was broken by high winds. (Yonhap)