Typhoon Lingling hit South Korea on Saturday, where it knocked out power, and toppled trees and street signs before making landfall in North Korea.
At least three people have died and ten wounded in the storm, according to the media reports, and more than 161,000 homes were left without power.
The storm has flooded homes and forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights.
After hitting South Korea, the storm traveled towards North Korea at a speed of 37 miles an hour, bringing winds with speeds of up to 122 miles per hour. That’s the equivalent of the winds in a Category 3 hurricane.
North Korea is deeply impoverished, and frequently suffers food shortages. The typhoon could further damage crops and food security.
According to the media reports Kim said the North Korean government is focusing on the protection of crops, dams and reservoirs, and that watchmen would patrol bridges, buildings and other infrastructure.
Typhoon Lingling is the thirteenth tropical cyclone (typhoon or tropical storm) in the North Pacific this year, and is being concerned the fifth strongest typhoon to hit the country since 1959.
However, the Korean Peninsula typically sees just one landfalling storm per year.
In early September 2019, Typhoon Lingling swept by the Philippines and Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, bringing heavy rain and strong winds that knocked over trees and utility poles.
