(LEAD) Typhoon Chaba strikes southern S. Korea

(ATTN: RECASTS throughout with updates)

SEOUL, Oct. 5 (Yonhap) -- Heavy rainstorms struck South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju as well as other major cities on Wednesday, the safety ministry said, as Typhoon Chaba approached the Korean Peninsula.

Not only flights departing from the island, but domestic and international sea routes as well as high-speed KTX train schedules in the southern areas are currently being suspended due to strong winds and downpours, the Ministry of Public Safety and Security said.

Power went out for around 52,000 houses on Jeju, and the authority is facing difficulties restoring it due to a shortage of repair teams, an official from the Korea Electric Power Corporation said.

One man has gone missing while working on a fishing boat anchored at a dock on the southern resort island of Jeju, while two deaths and another missing were reported in the southern port city of Busan on Wednesday.

Typhoon Chaba, packing winds of up to 56.5 meters per second in some areas, is set to head towards Japan through the East Sea.

Other industry players also suffered damage from the typhoon, with South Korea's top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. suspending a production line located in the southern industrial city of Ulsan due to a flood.

The Busan International Film Festival, which is set to kick off on Thursday, is also anticipated to face problems as the typhoon struck the venue, its organizers said.

colin@yna.co.kr
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