Typhoon Meari expected to hit S. Korea

South Korea was on alert Saturday as a powerful typhoon was moving fast toward it after causing heavy casualties in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. The typhoon, dubbed Meari, a Korean word which means "echo" in English, was traveling toward the Korean Peninsula at a speed of roughly 20 kilometers per hour from waters 240 kilometers northeast of Taiwan as of Saturday morning, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said. The KMA said that the mid-sized typhoon, which packs strong winds and rain storms, is expected to reach the west coast of South Korea on Sunday morning where it will veer its course and make landfall later in the day. The southern island of Jeju will come under the influence of the typhoon as early as Saturday evening, it said. On the way, the typhoon pounded several Southeast Asian countries, resulting in 13 people dead in Vietnam and 15 people missing in the Philippines, according to news reports. Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said it has set up a disaster control center to deal with property and other damages expected to be caused by the typhoon. Last year, powerful Typhoon Kompasu swept through the country, killing five people and causing some 23.3 billion won (US$19.9 million) worth of property damages.