Rescuers, helped by troops and police, were digging through the snow to reach the missing. Other parts of Gangwon province have also been hit by the heaviest snowfalls since record keeping began a century ago.Homes in remote villages have been cut off, farms damaged, hundreds of schools temporarily closed and flights cancelled. Nearly 10,000 soldiers have been mobilised to clear roads.Provincial officials quoted by Yonhap put the cost of property damage at about 4.8 billion won $4.3 million as of Tuesday.

Heavy snow also battered the southeastern industrial city of Pohang and nearby towns.The government is expected to designate Gangwon a "special disaster zone" next week, a move that would ease administrative and financial support for recovery efforts, presidential officials said.