Anchor: The southernmost Jeju Island and the southern coastal regions have begun reporting heavy downpours as Khanun, the year's sixth typhoon, closes in on the Korean Peninsula, bringing winds strong enough to derail a train. The state weather agency expects the typhoon, at its current trajectory, to be the first in recorded history to cross the inlands of the peninsula from south to north.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: The southernmost island of Jeju and areas along the mainland's southern coast are reporting strong winds and heavy rains as the powerful Typhoon Khanun makes its way towards the Korean Peninsula.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA), as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Khanun was traveling north-northwest at a speed of 16 kilometers per hour over waters 260 kilometers southeast from Jeju's Seogwipo region, putting it some 370 kilometers from the port city of Busan.

Khanun's central pressure was 965 hectopascals, with a maximum wind speed of 133 kilometers per hour, or 37 meters per second, maintaining its classification as a "strong" typhoon.

It is forecast to pass over waters east of Jeju Island between late Wednesday and early Thursday, before landing on the country's south coast between South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province Thursday morning.

At around 3 p.m. Thursday, the typhoon is projected to be 20 kilometers southeast from the central city of Cheongju before passing east of Seoul by 9 p.m. and crossing the border into North Korea to arrive near Pyongyang at 3 a.m. Friday.

As of 1 p.m. Wednesday, typhoon and strong wind alerts were issued for Jeju Island, waters surrounding the island, and areas along the southern coast. The weather agency forecast maximum instantaneous wind speeds of up to 40 meters per second along southern coast areas, and 25 meters per second in Seoul.

Over 600 millimeters of precipitation are in the forecast for eastern parts of Gangwon Province through Friday, with a deluge of a maximum 100 millimeters per hour.

Elsewhere, over 400 millimeters are expected along coastal areas in the Gyeongsang region, and more than 300 millimeters on Jeju Island and along the coast of Jeolla provinces. Up to 200 millimeters are expected in the capital region.

Meanwhile, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters urged public institutions and private companies to adjust commuting hours to prevent typhoon damage.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.