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| A greenhouse remains collapsed in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, Friday, after Typhoon Soulik wreaked havoc on the island. After hitting Jeju, the typhoon weakened and did not cause any major damage on the mainland. / Yonhap |
By Kim Rahn
Typhoon Soulik has passed through the Korean Peninsula without causing major damage to the mainland.
The country had braced for the typhoon _ which recorded speeds up to 62 meters per second _ after it wreaked havoc on Jeju Island on Wednesday and Thursday. But the typhoon weakened after arriving in the southwestern Jeolla region Thursday night and departed the peninsula toward the East Sea around 11 a.m. Friday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).
"Soulik passed through the Chungcheong region, lower than its initially forecast path through the capital area, and we believe the course was affected by Typhoon Cimaron which was moving toward Japan," a KMA official said.
"While staying over Jeju for longer than expected, Soulik lost its strength rapidly after emitting heavy rain and strong winds there. This resulted in lighter-than-expected damage to the mainland."
Despite weakening, Soulik produced heavy rain in southern parts of the country and caused some damage.
The central mountainous region on Jeju Island received 1,030 millimeters of rain since Wednesday, while Jindo and Mokpo in South Jeolla Province received 305mm and 152mm, respectively. Hamyang in South Gyeongsang Province had 112mm.
Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province had 20mm to 60mm of rain as the typhoon passed 100 kilometers south of the capital area.
One woman was missing on Jeju, two were injured and 46 people suffered water damage to their homes across the nation, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.
There have been hundreds of reports of walls, building structures, signs and street lights being toppled, as well as fallen trees, mainly on Jeju and in the Jeolla provinces. Dozens of greenhouses, cattle sheds and sea farm facilities were damaged on Jeju.
More than 26,800 places, including houses, stores and farms, suffered power outages on Jeju as well as in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province.
Hiking was banned at all 21 major mountains designated as national parks, and 400 ferries were anchored on Friday alone.
Most of the nation's 15 domestic and international airports operated normally on Friday. At Jeju International Airport, where all flights were canceled on Wednesday and Thursday, more than 560 planes operated on Friday, with airlines adding services to carry stranded passengers between the island and the mainland.
Over 7,800 elementary, middle and high schools across the country closed temporarily on Friday, up from 1,965 schools the day before.
After the typhoon clears, the nation is forecast to have slightly cloudy weather on Saturday. On Sunday, southeastern parts of the country, including Busan and Daegu, may have light rain.
