Kim Rahn is the managing editor of The Korea Times. Since joining the company in 2003, she has covered various beats including the presidential office, Seoul city government, the Bank of Korea and the tourism industry. In 2014, she won the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for her coverage of the ordeals of migrant women in Korea.
Typhoon Khanun dies after causing minor damage
By Kim Rahn
Typhoon Khanun killed one person and damaged several vehicles and buildings while passing over the Korean Peninsula from Wednesday evening to Thursday morning.
The typhoon, which approached western coastal regions Thursday morning from west of Jeju Island, passed over inland areas before dissipating over the East Sea.
As it moved inland the typhoon weakened but dumped heavy rain in several regions. Warnings of heavy rain and winds were issued and then lifted in many parts of the nation.
In Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, parts of a house collapsed as the ground washed away due to rain, killing an 83-year-old woman who was sleeping inside.
More than 26,200 houses across the nation were left without electricity.
The power outage suspended the operation of the airport railroad for about 30 minutes. A train bound for Incheon International Airport stopped at Unseo Station near the port city at around 7 a.m. It was pushed to the depot by the following train before operations resumed but hundreds of passengers onboard had to transfer to other trains.
People taking other forms of public transport also had trouble due to the torrential rain and traffic congestion.
Strong winds and rain grounded and delayed more than 100 planes at Incheon, Gimpo and Jeju airports. Some 170 ferries connecting Jeju and nearby islands and those linking Incheon and neighboring islets were cancelled.
Some roads were closed in Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas, causing heavy traffic jams. Due to the congestion, many commuters took the subway, which was packed with a larger number of passengers than usual. Subway trains ran slower than usual in sections above ground to prevent accidents.
Dozens of elementary, middle and high schools in Incheon, Gyeonggi and North Jeolla Provinces allowed students to come in one to three hours later than usual.
On Wednesday, North Korea discharged water from Hwanggang Dam, a border dam near Imjin River which flows out to South Korea’s western coast.
Campers near the river in the South took shelter for fear of being swept away by the ensuing flash flood. In September 2009, the North released dam water without prior notice and six South Koreans lost their lives.
The typhoon led to 131 millimeters of rain falling in Incheon, 98 in Suncheon, 75 in Seoul and 53 in Jeju.