The cold snap that has gripped the nation will peak on Thursday, with morning lows set to plunge to as low as minus 19 degrees Celsius. 

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Wednesday, morning lows will stand between minus 19 and minus five degrees while afternoon highs will range between minus eight and three degrees. 

The freezing weather is forecast to let up after the weekend.

Sunny skies are expected for most parts of the country on Thursday, except South Chungcheong Province, the Jeolla region and Jeju, which are set to see cloudy skies. 

Five to 20 centimeters of snowfall is expected for Ulleung Island and the Dokdo islets through Thursday, five to 15 centimeters for Jeju’s mountainous areas, and two to seven centimeters for the western coastal areas of the Jeolla region.