Flights grounded as massive snowstorm hits Seoul

Snow covered the Gyeongbok Palace, one of South Korea’s well-known landmarks, in Seoul (AP)

The biggest November snowstorm to hit South Korea’s capital in more than a half century blanketed Seoul on Wednesday, grounding hundreds of flights, disrupting commuter traffic and leaving at least two people dead.

South Korea’s weather agency said 20-26cm (7.8-10in) of snow fell in northern areas of Seoul and nearby areas. The agency said it was the heaviest snowstorm Seoul has experienced in November in 52 years, when a storm dumped 12cm (4.7in) of snow on November 28 1972.