A cold snap has gripped most parts of the nation with only five days left until the winter solstice.   
 
The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast Wednesday that the nation’s morning lows will stand at between minus 17 and minus 3 degrees Celsius with afternoon highs standing at between minus 10 and 2 degrees.
 
In Seoul, temperatures stood at minus 10.6 degrees at 5 a.m. Highs are not likely to rise above minus 7 in the afternoon.
 
The agency said morning lows in Incheon, Suwon, Gangneung and Daejeon stood at minus 9 degrees and southern regions, including Jeonju and Daegu, saw morning lows plunge to around minus 6.7 degrees. Afternoon highs for these southern regions are expected to remain below zero.
 
An official of the weather agency said a cold snap advisory has been issued for the central regions and the Gyeongsang Provinces. The official said the wind chill will be even lower than afternoon highs as freezing winds are expected.