Buggy python submission (verdict: Runtime Error):
#test
NUMERIC_LIMITS = 10 ** 18
import queue
class maxFlow:
  class edge:
    def __init__(s, frm, to, cap, flow):
      s.frm, s.to = frm, to
      s.cap, s.flow = cap, flow

  def __init__(s, n):
    s._n = n
    s.g = [[] for _ in range(n)]
    s.pos = []

  def add_edge(s, frm, to, cap):
    m = len(s.pos)
    s.pos.append([frm, len(s.g[frm])])
    s.g[frm].append(s._edge(to, len(s.g[to]), cap))
    s.g[to].append(s._edge(frm,len(s.g[frm]) - 1, 0))
    return m

  def get_edge(s, i):
    m = len(s.pos)
    _e = s.g[s.pos[i][0]][s.pos[i][1]]
    _re = s.g[_e.to][_e.rev]
    return s.edge(s.pos[i][0], _e.to, _e.cap + _re.cap, _re.cap)

  def edges(s):
    m = len(s.pos)
    result = []
    for i in range(m):
      result.append(s.get_edge(i))
    return result

  def change_edge(s, i, new_cap, new_flow):
    m = len(s.pos)
    _e = s.g[s.pos[i].to][s.pos[i].rev]
    _re = s.g[_e.to][_e.rev]
    _e.cap = new_cap - new_flow
    _re.cap = new_flow

  def flow(self, s, t, flow_limit = NUMERIC_LIMITS):
    level = [0] * self._n
    iter = [0] * self._n 

    def bfs():
      for i in range(self._n):
        level[i] = -1
      level[s] = 0
      que = queue.Queue()
      que.put(s)
      while not que.empty():
        v = que.get()
        for e in self.g[v]:
           if e.cap == 0 or level[e.to] >= 0: continue
           level[e.to] = level[v] + 1
           if e.to == t: return
           que.put(e.to)
    def dfs(this, v, up):
      if v == s: return up
      res = 0
      level_v = level[v]
      for i in range(iter[v], len(self.g[v])):
        e = self.g[v][i]
        if level_v <= level[e.to] or self.g[e.to][e.rev].cap == 0: continue
        d = this(this, e.to, min(up - res, self.g[e.to][e.rev].cap))
        if d <= 0: continue
        self.g[v][i].cap += d
        self.g[e.to][e.rev].cap -= d
        res += d
        if res == up: break
      return res

    flow = 0
    while flow < flow_limit:
      bfs()
      if level[t] == -1: break
      for i in range(self._n): iter[i]
      while flow < flow_limit:
        f = dfs(dfs, t, flow_limit - flow)
        if not f: break
        flow += f
    return flow

  def min_cut(self, s):
    visited = [False] * self._n
    que = queue.Queue()
    que.put(s)
    while not que.empty():
      p = que.get()
      visited[p] = True
      for e in self.g[p]:
        if e.cap and not visited[e.to]:
          visited[e.to] = True
          que.put(e.to)
    return visited

  class _edge:
    def __init__(s, to, rev, cap):
      s.to, s.rev = to, rev
      s.cap = cap




N, M = list(map(int, input().split()))
S = [list(input()) for _ in range(N)]

stop = "#"

flow = maxFlow(N * M + 2)
s = N * M
t = N * M + 1
for x in range(N):
  for y in range(M):
    if S[x][y] == stop: continue
    p = (x + y) % 2
    n = x * M + y
    if p:
      flow.add_edge(s, n, 1)
      for h, w in [[x - 1, y], [x + 1, y], [x, y - 1], [x, y + 1]]:
        if h < 0: continue
        if h >= N: continue
        if w < 0: continue
        if w >= M: continue
        if S[h][w] == stop: continue
        m = h * M + w
        flow.add_edge(n, m, 1)
    else:
      flow.add_edge(n, t, 1)

ans = flow.flow(s, t)

edges = flow.edges()
for edge in edges:
  if edge.flow == 0: continue
  if edge.frm == s: continue
  if edge.to == t: continue
  frm, to = edge.frm, edge.to
  fy, ty = frm % M, to % M
  fx, tx = (frm - fy) // N, (to - ty) // N
  
  if fx == tx:
    if fy > ty:
      fy, ty = ty, fy
    S[fx][fy] = ">"
    S[tx][ty] = "<"
  else:
    if fx > tx:
      fx, tx = tx, fx
    S[fx][fy] = "v"
    S[tx][ty] = "^"

print(ans)
for s in S:
  print("".join(s))

Fixed submission:
#test
NUMERIC_LIMITS = 10 ** 18
import queue
class maxFlow:
  class edge:
    def __init__(s, frm, to, cap, flow):
      s.frm, s.to = frm, to
      s.cap, s.flow = cap, flow

  def __init__(s, n):
    s._n = n
    s.g = [[] for _ in range(n)]
    s.pos = []

  def add_edge(s, frm, to, cap):
    m = len(s.pos)
    s.pos.append([frm, len(s.g[frm])])
    s.g[frm].append(s._edge(to, len(s.g[to]), cap))
    s.g[to].append(s._edge(frm,len(s.g[frm]) - 1, 0))
    return m

  def get_edge(s, i):
    m = len(s.pos)
    _e = s.g[s.pos[i][0]][s.pos[i][1]]
    _re = s.g[_e.to][_e.rev]
    return s.edge(s.pos[i][0], _e.to, _e.cap + _re.cap, _re.cap)

  def edges(s):
    m = len(s.pos)
    result = []
    for i in range(m):
      result.append(s.get_edge(i))
    return result

  def change_edge(s, i, new_cap, new_flow):
    m = len(s.pos)
    _e = s.g[s.pos[i].to][s.pos[i].rev]
    _re = s.g[_e.to][_e.rev]
    _e.cap = new_cap - new_flow
    _re.cap = new_flow

  def flow(self, s, t, flow_limit = NUMERIC_LIMITS):
    level = [0] * self._n
    iter = [0] * self._n 

    def bfs():
      for i in range(self._n):
        level[i] = -1
      level[s] = 0
      que = queue.Queue()
      que.put(s)
      while not que.empty():
        v = que.get()
        for e in self.g[v]:
           if e.cap == 0 or level[e.to] >= 0: continue
           level[e.to] = level[v] + 1
           if e.to == t: return
           que.put(e.to)
    def dfs(this, v, up):
      if v == s: return up
      res = 0
      level_v = level[v]
      for i in range(iter[v], len(self.g[v])):
        e = self.g[v][i]
        if level_v <= level[e.to] or self.g[e.to][e.rev].cap == 0: continue
        d = this(this, e.to, min(up - res, self.g[e.to][e.rev].cap))
        if d <= 0: continue
        self.g[v][i].cap += d
        self.g[e.to][e.rev].cap -= d
        res += d
        if res == up: break
      return res

    flow = 0
    while flow < flow_limit:
      bfs()
      if level[t] == -1: break
      for i in range(self._n): iter[i]
      while flow < flow_limit:
        f = dfs(dfs, t, flow_limit - flow)
        if not f: break
        flow += f
    return flow

  def min_cut(self, s):
    visited = [False] * self._n
    que = queue.Queue()
    que.put(s)
    while not que.empty():
      p = que.get()
      visited[p] = True
      for e in self.g[p]:
        if e.cap and not visited[e.to]:
          visited[e.to] = True
          que.put(e.to)
    return visited

  class _edge:
    def __init__(s, to, rev, cap):
      s.to, s.rev = to, rev
      s.cap = cap




N, M = list(map(int, input().split()))
S = [list(input()) for _ in range(N)]

stop = "#"

flow = maxFlow(N * M + 2)
s = N * M
t = N * M + 1
for x in range(N):
  for y in range(M):
    if S[x][y] == stop: continue
    p = (x + y) % 2
    n = x * M + y
    if p:
      flow.add_edge(s, n, 1)
      for h, w in [[x - 1, y], [x + 1, y], [x, y - 1], [x, y + 1]]:
        if h < 0: continue
        if h >= N: continue
        if w < 0: continue
        if w >= M: continue
        if S[h][w] == stop: continue
        m = h * M + w
        flow.add_edge(n, m, 1)
    else:
      flow.add_edge(n, t, 1)

ans = flow.flow(s, t)

edges = flow.edges()
for edge in edges:
  if edge.flow == 0: continue
  if edge.frm == s: continue
  if edge.to == t: continue
  frm, to = edge.frm, edge.to
  fy, ty = frm % M, to % M
  fx, tx = (frm - fy) // M, (to - ty) // M
  if fx == tx:
    if fy > ty:
      fy, ty = ty, fy
    S[fx][fy] = ">"
    S[tx][ty] = "<"
  else:
    if fx > tx:
      fx, tx = tx, fx
    S[fx][fy] = "v"
    S[tx][ty] = "^"

print(ans)
for s in S:
  print("".join(s))