Seoul Braces for Worst Typhoon on Record

A wave breaks on a pier on Jeju Island on Wednesday as typhoon Soulik approaches Korea. /Newsis

This year's 19th typhoon Soulik will likely be the most powerful typhoon ever to hit Seoul since 1977, the Korea Meteorological Administration warned Wednesday.

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Soulik is expected to make landfall in Korea on midnight Thursday and will hit the Seoul metropolitan area with its 20 million inhabitants on Friday morning.

The typhoon will keep moving northeastwards, reaching Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province at 6 a.m. and Goseong, Gangwon Province around 10 a.m.  

The typhoon is expected to pass through the Seoul area in the small hours Friday way ahead of morning rush hours, but since it is slowing down it could hover over inland areas longer than expected.

Soulik has about a 300 km radius of gale-force winds, so it is possible that some areas will still come under their influence much later.

Passengers look at a departure board at Jeju International Airport on Wednesday. /Newsis

On Jeju Island, which lay in the direct path of the typhoon, strong winds have led to flights being canceled since Wednesday.

More than 100 flights had been canceled as of Wednesday afternoon, stranding an estimated 20,000 tourists on the resort island.

About 2,000 ships took shelter in Jeju ports, and all ferries were canceled. Fifteen schools on the island closed temporarily until Thursday and 69 others adjusted school hours.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has checked about 12,000 facilities including windows of skyscrapers, roofs and signboards.