President Yoon Suk Yeol said the government will remain alert and make every effort to protect people's lives and guarantee their safety as powerful Typhoon Hinnamnor closes in on the country.

Yoon made the remark to reporters on his way to work on Monday, saying that the oncoming tropical cyclone is already starting to impact much of the nation. He noted that the super typhoon is set to pound Jeju and other southern regions from Monday evening onward.

The president confirmed that he instructed natural disaster officials to take the initiative by implementing any measures they deem necessary and report to his office later.

He also called on the media to help safeguard the public by providing real-time coverage of the precipitation.

Emphasizing that he will be on standby throughout the day, Yoon was only open to questions about Hinnamnor and declined to comment on his move to the new presidential residence in Seoul's Hannam area.