Typhoon Khanun leaves over 360 facilities damaged, flooded in Korea

Social Affairs

Published: 11 Aug. 2023, 12:04 Updated: 11 Aug. 2023, 13:20

Typhoon Khanun leaves over 360 facilities damaged, flooded in Korea

Residents who suffered damages after Typhoon Khanun passed the country take part in restoration work in Byeongsu-ri, Gunwi County in Daegu Friday. [YONHAP]

Typhoon Khanun left over 360 facilities damaged or flooded as it passed Korea, according to authorities Friday.

Khanun, which landed on South Korea's southeastern coast near Geoje, South Gyeongsang, at 9:20 a.m. Thursday, slowly moved northward for some 16 hours, passing near Seoul later in the night. It later crossed over to North Korea early Friday around 1 a.m., weakening to a tropical depression, dissipating after reaching near Pyongyang at around 6 a.m. Friday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

Its impact was somewhat weakened during its prolonged inland path up the peninsula, but the typhoon resulted in heavy rainfall and strong winds, resulting in flooding, landslides and toppled signposts and trees, leading to airport and school closures at one point.

Over 361 damages were reported in six cities and counties on Korea's east coast, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said as of Friday morning, including 184 to public facilities and 177 to private ones. The numbers could increase after a full survey of the damage is made.

There were 64 cases of flooding of roads, of which 39 were in Busan. There were 30 houses flooded in areas including Gangwon and Daegu, and another 16 at businesses.

A total of 15,862 people were evacuated due to the typhoon, mainly in the Gyeongsang and Gangwon areas, and 9,741 of them have returned to their homes so far.

In Busan, Ulsan, Daegu and South Gyeongsang, 40,358 households suffered power outages, though 94 percent of them have been restored.

Some 1,019 hectares of farming land and crops in South Gyeongsang and South Jeolla also suffered damages, an area 3.5 times that of Yeouido in western Seoul.

As of Friday morning, 676 roads remained closed due to flooding and landslides. Likewise, 290 beachside areas, 600 riverside banks and 24 sea routes remained closed Friday, but flights resumed normal operations.

A 67-year-old man died after being rescued from a flooded river, and another person went missing after falling into a stream in Daegu on Thursday, but authorities categorized them as safety accidents.

In Sokcho, Gangwon, a total of 140 damaged facilities were reported, including 101 cases of flood damage, 11 cases of backed up sewage pipes, nine retaining wall collapses and six landslides, according to the Gangwon provincial government.

Gangwon's Goseong County also reported some 43 cases, including 32 flooded houses, while Gangneung saw 64 cases, including six small-scale landslides and 42 flooded facilities.

Parts of Gangwon, including Sokcho, received over 400 millimeters (15.7 inches) of rain, according to the KMA.

All typhoon alerts were lifted as of 6 a.m. Friday, though parts of the country continued to see rainfall and wind.

President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed the government Friday to provide "swift and sufficient support" to people who suffered damage from Typhoon Khanun.

After receiving a briefing on the typhoon situation, Yoon instructed Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to promptly come up with measures to support people who suffered damages in the typhoon, presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon said in a statement.

Yoon thanked officials, police, firefighters and local authorities for preemptive efforts to evacuate residents and control dangerous areas, minimizing casualties.

The typhoon's trajectory was a rare one that followed an inland route from south to north, its impact weakened by the time it neared Seoul around 9 p.m. Thursday. Likewise, the 16 hours it took to pass the country was also unusually long.