Interior ministry convenes meeting as Typhoon Champing bears down on Korea

The interior ministry said Friday it had convened an interagency meeting on Typhoon Champing and the heavy rain forecast for Oct. 23-26, ordering pre-emptive controls on coastal areas and preparations against wind and flood damage.

The meeting at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters was chaired by Kim Yong-kyun, the ministry's director-general for natural disasters, and brought together central government ministries, local governments and public agencies. Attendees shared the typhoon's expected track and weather forecasts and reviewed each agency's readiness, including safety management of facilities vulnerable to strong winds, maintenance of drainage systems such as storm drains, and the status of emergency response systems.

The ministry asked agencies to inspect and repair outdoor signs, greenhouses and temporary structures at construction sites before the winds arrive, and to tie down fishing boats and aquaculture facilities along the coast. To prevent flooding, it told local authorities to clear sediment and fallen leaves from storm drains in low-lying and chronically flooded areas. It also called for the pre-emptive closure of breakwaters, rocky outcrops and coastal promenades on Jeju Island and the south coast, where high waves and strong winds are expected, along with bans on fishing and departures to prevent accidents at sea.

With the typhoon's track and rainfall totals still subject to change, the ministry said agencies should keep monitoring conditions and maintain emergency response systems and cooperation with police and fire services.

"We ask the public to check weather information frequently and to follow the authorities' guidance by refraining from visiting dangerous areas such as the coast, where strong winds and high waves are expected," Interior Minister Yoon Ho-jung said.