January 08, 2021 13:36 Heavy snowfall caused chaos during the evening rush hour on Wednesday in Seoul and across the country. Commuting times that normally take between 40 to 50 minutes stretched to four or five hours as snowy roads across the country caused massive traffic gridlocks. Many people parked their cars on the side of the road and opted to trek home instead, while long queues formed in front of hotels and other lodgings. The next morning traffic congestion was back. Seoul city officials went into emergency mode at 7:20 p.m. on Wednesday, but clearing the snow proved difficult as 7 cm of snow had already blanketed many parts of the city by that time and the streets were already filled with commuter traffic. But the Korea Meteorological Administration had informed city officials at 1 p.m. Wednesday to prepare for heavy snow, and they dragged their heels for more than six hours.