[News Today] BITTER COLD GRIPS CHEORWON

[LEAD]
What's the weather like in your area today? In Korea, we're facing a fierce cold snap. In Cheorwon, Gangwon-do Province, right at the northernmost point of the country, temperatures have fell to minus 22 degrees Celsius. The Hantangang River is frozen solid, and waterfalls have turned into ice walls. Let's take a look.

[REPORT]
A waterfall that starts from a 20 meter high cliff has completely frozen up.

Long icicles are seen in places where water used to flow.

Jo Min-suk / Cheorwon-gun resident
It got cold again from Monday. Everything starts to freeze usually from late December and lasts till early or even late March.

Sharp winds blowing from the valleys are punishing for tourists who are bundled up in layers.

A steep cliff measuring 150 meters wide is covered in snow and ice.

The Hantangang River which usually doesn't freeze easily due to the rapid flow of water shares the same fate this time.

On Wednesday, morning lows plunged to minus 22.3 degrees Celsius in Cheorwon, Gangwon-do Province.

Even residents here who are used to the bitter cold need to warm up by the fire several times a day.

Baek Jong-han / Cheorwon-gun resident
I need to add wood about twice in the day and more at night. If not, I can't stand the cold.

Migratory birds from Russia are also affected.

As they struggle to find food on frozen fields, local residents help out by scattering grains here and there.

Yoo Jong-hyun / Cheorwon crane protection group
The cranes are limited in their search for food on snowy, icy fields.

The solar term indicating the start of spring has passed but the country's northernmost town is still in the depth of winter.