Korea raises typhoon alert level to 'vigilance' from 'attention'

A man with an umbrella walks on Jeju Island, Saturday, as Typhoon Tapah approaches the island. Yonhap

The interior and safety ministry elevated the weather alert level to "vigilance" from "attention" for Typhoon Tapah, Saturday, as it is tracking northward and expected to affect parts of the country's southern region over the weekend.

Interior Minister Chin Young presided over a meeting of related ministries and provincial governments to make the decision and discuss ways to minimize potential damage from the typhoon, this year's 17th.

The officials decided to check vulnerable areas, such as steep slopes, and ensure that measures were well in place to prevent flooding, power outages and other problems that could occur as the typhoon approaches.

"I ask citizens to refrain from going outside when the country is under the influence of the typhoon and ensure their safety when there are concerns about the possibilities of landslides or flooding," Chin said.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said that Tapah is expected to pass through the waters east of the southern island of Jeju during daytime Sunday and then move past the Korea Straits and toward the East Sea at night the same day.

At around 9 a.m. Monday, the typhoon is expected to be in waters 290 kilometers northeast of the country's easternmost islets of Dokdo.

Noting that the typhoon could bring strong winds and heavy rain, a KMA official warned of "serious" damage from the storm and called for citizens' "thorough" preparations to prevent or reduce possible damage.

The center of the typhoon may come closest to the southeastern port city of Busan at around 10 p.m. Sunday. The weather agency also has not ruled out the possibility that the typhoon could make landfall on the country's southern coast. (Yonhap)

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