Historic Typhoon Hinnamnor Makes Landfall in Busan on the 6th... Government's Full-Scale Response and Shift to Remote Classes

Heavy Rain Over 300mm in Jeju from the 4th
Strong Winds of 40-60m/s in Jeju and Southern Coast
All Schools in Busan and Gyeongnam to Hold Remote Classes on the 6th
Flexible Work Hours and Adjusted Commute Times Recommended

On the 5th, as the 11th typhoon 'Hinnamnor' is moving northward, a forecaster at the Suwon Metropolitan Weather Administration in Gyeonggi Province is analyzing and monitoring the approaching typhoon. / Suwon - Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy reporters Jinju Han and Gimin Lee] Typhoon Hinnamnor is approaching Jeju early dawn on the 6th and will make landfall in Busan in the morning.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, as of 9 a.m. on the 5th, Typhoon Hinnamnor is moving north at 24 km/h about 410 km south-southwest of Seogwipo. The typhoon's center is 450 km from Jeju, 660 km from Tongyeong, and 720 km from Busan. Hinnamnor will pass through waters about 100 km northeast of Seogwipo at 3 a.m. on the 6th, make landfall on land about 80 km north-northeast of Busan at 9 a.m., then pass through waters north-northeast of Ulleungdo in the afternoon of the 5th, and weaken to an extratropical cyclone by the 7th. The central pressure is expected to be 945 hPa at 3 a.m. on the 6th and 955 hPa at 9 a.m.

Due to Typhoon Hinnamnor, Jeju received over 300 mm of rain by 10 a.m. on the 4th. Samgakbong recorded 319 mm, Witseoreum 303.5 mm, and Jindallaebat 273 mm. The maximum instantaneous wind speed was 34.5 m/s at Samgakbong and 29.1 m/s at Sajebi.

As the typhoon moves north, strong winds of 40-60 m/s are forecast for Jeju, the southern coast of Jeollanam-do, the coast of Gyeongsangnam-do, Ulleungdo, and Dokdo on the 5th and 6th; 30-40 m/s for Gangwon Yeongdong, the east coast of Gyeongsangbuk-do, and the west coast of Jeollanam-do; and 20-30 m/s for the southern regions and the southern part of Chungcheong and Gangwon Yeongseo. With the typhoon approaching, Jeju is expected to receive up to 600 mm or more of rain by the 6th, the southern coast, the east coast of Gyeongsang, Jeju, the Jirisan area, Ulleungdo, and Dokdo over 400 mm, and nationwide rainfall of about 100-300 mm.

In response to the unprecedented typhoon landfall, the government has mobilized all efforts. President Yoon Seok-yeol, dressed in a teal civil defense uniform, is also on emergency standby. On his way to the Yongsan Presidential Office in the morning, President Yoon said, "The government will not relax its vigilance and will do its best to protect the lives and safety of the people," reaffirming the principle of "take action first, report later" to disaster management officials by saying, "If the president is not supporting emergency response, please take measures first and report later." He added, "No matter how difficult the situation, if all public officials and citizens unite and work together, we can protect our families and neighbors."

As Typhoon Hinnamnor moves north, education authorities recommended switching to remote classes and shortened classes the day before. On this day, 282 schools (91%) in Jeju conducted remote classes, and 28 schools (9%) were closed. In Gyeongnam, 959 schools (57%) held shortened classes, and 148 schools (8.8%) conducted remote classes. All schools in Busan and Gyeongnam will conduct remote classes on the 6th.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety issued a Level 3 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters alert at 4:30 p.m. the previous day. This is the first time the alert level was immediately raised from Level 1 to Level 3. At the same time, the crisis alert level was raised from caution to severe. The Korea Forest Service raised the landslide warning to "caution," and the Ministry of Employment and Labor recommended telecommuting, flexible working hours, and adjusting commuting times. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's tally as of 6 a.m., no casualties have occurred due to the typhoon, but 8 houses and 3 commercial buildings were flooded in Jeju. In Nam-gu and Dong-gu of Busan, 106 people from 86 households temporarily evacuated.