S.Korea warns of 'very strong' typhoon, businesses curb operations (updated)

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co

05/09/2022 02:31

(Adds background, companies' comments on operations; changes
media packaging slug)
    By Joori Roh
    SEOUL, Sept 5 (Reuters) - South Korea issued warnings on bad
weather and raised its typhoon alert level to its highest as
typhoon Hinnamnor neared on Monday, with heavy rain and strong
wind already lashing southern parts of the country.
    Responding to the progress of the typhoon, companies in the
country said they have either curtailed operations or are
contemplating doing so. 
    Travelling northward at a speed of 19 km per hour (12 mph),
Hinnamnor is expected to make landfall 90 kilometres southwest
of the port city of Busan early on Tuesday, after reaching
waters off Jeju Island around Monday midnight.
    "Very strong winds and heavy rains are expected across the
country through to Tuesday due to the typhoon, while there will
be places where very high waves cross breakwaters and coastal
roads along with storm and tsunami," the Korea Meteorological
Administration (KMA) said.
    While typhoons are classified into four categories – medium,
strong, very strong, super strong – Hinnamnor is expected to
reach the country as a "very strong" typhoon, according to the
KMA. Typhoons under that classification have wind speeds of up
to 53 metres per second.
    Warnings have been issued across the southern cities,
including Gwangju, Busan, Daegu and Ulsan, following that in the
southern island of Jeju, while the Central Disaster and Safety
Countermeasures Headquarters on Sunday upgraded its typhoon
alert level to the highest among its four-tier system, the first
time in five years. 
    On Sunday, President Yoon Suk-yeol met with authorities to
review the response system, while promising to put all efforts
in minimising damage from the typhoon.
    Busan city and its neighbouring areas have received rain
throughout the weekend, with more rain forecast for Monday and
Tuesday.
    Steelmaker POSCO  005490.KS  told Reuters it is considering
suspending some of its production processes in the city of
Pohang on Tuesday, while SK Innovation  096770.KS , owner of
South Korea’s top refiner SK Energy, said it asked carrier ships
not to operate until the typhoon passes.
    Responding to local media reports over the planned halts of
their operations, South Korean shipbuilders Korea Shipbuilding &
Offshore Engineering  009540.KS , Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine
Engineering (DSME)  042660.KS  and Samsung Heavy Industries,
DSME said a decision on suspending its operations will be made
later on Monday.
    Korean Air Lines  003490.KS  and Asiana Airlines  020560.KS 
have cancelled most of their Monday flights to Jeju Island,
according to their websites, while budget airlines such as Air
Seoul and Jin Air have cancelled some of their flights. 

 (Reporting by Joori Roh; Additional reporting by Joyce Lee and
Heekyong Yang; Editing by Kim Coghill and Muralikumar
Anantharaman)
 ((joori.roh@thomsonreuters.com; +82 2 6936 1493;))