North Korean leader Kim Jong-un convened an urgent meeting of his disaster prevention group to work out modalities of facing typhoon lingling. He cautioned that the storm could lead to largescale damage and there must be efforts to minimize the losses. The storm, with wind speeds of 83 miles per hour could strike North Korea soon and he wants his military to be prepared. The typhoon has already uprooted trees in the neighboring South, planes are on the ground, affecting flights and Travel. Thousands of homes do not have electricity as the powerful storm system lashed the Korean Peninsula.

Daily Mail UK says Kim Jong-un expressed annoyance at his people who he felt were “unaware of its seriousness” and that those responsible were not prepared. He wanted everyone to be geared up to face the crisis that was brewing. Most of the reports of damage are from the South and Typhoon Lingling is yet to make landfall in the North. Such climatic conditions usually leave behind a trail of destruction especially on the infrastructure and Kim wants to keep that at a minimum.

Damage in South Korea

At least three persons lost their lives in South Korea due to the typhoons.

One of them was a 75-year-old woman, another was a 38-year-old man, while the third was Chinese and in his 60s. In addition, others are under treatment from storm-related injuries. The major impact was on the resort island of Jeju. There is a disruption of aerial communication through Incheon International Airport, which is one of Asia's largest transport hubs.

Reports of typhoon-related damage include falling walls, knocked-off signboards, and uprooted trees. Many of these led to damaged vehicles. The authorities evacuated some people from their flooded homes in a city near Seoul.

Daily Mail UK describes the situation in the country.

The Korea Meteorological Association said the typhoon was on course to the north moving at around 26 miles per hour with wind speeds of up to 83 miles per hour. As a precautionary measure, the national parks were closed, as were ports on the mainland and major cross-sea bridges. The weatherman predicted possibilities of floods, landslides and damage to infrastructure due to heavy rain and strong winds.

North Korea prepares to face the typhoon

According to the BBC, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held an emergency meeting of government officials as Typhoon Lingling is on course to batter the country. There are genuine fears of damage to crops. This would affect the country that already suffers severe food shortages.

State media said the leader took officials to task for their lack of action. BBC added that the government was paying special attention to protect the crops, dams, and reservoirs. Authorities have issued evacuation orders for those residing in flood-prone areas and there is a watch on key infrastructure like bridges and buildings.

Pyongyang admits the country was suffering its worst drought in 37 years and wants its people to wage a war against crop damage. In 2017, it faced serious drought that affected the production of staple crops like rice, maize, potatoes, and soybeans. There is no information on the exact implications but it led to malnutrition and death. Earlier, in the 1990s, a famine reportedly killed hundreds of thousands.
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