South Korea hunkered down for the arrival of Typhoon Haishen on Monday, after the powerful storm battered Japan's southern islands but appeared to pass through without major damage or casualties.

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The storm, carrying top sustained winds of up to 144 kilometres (90 miles) per hour, was headed north toward South Korea's second largest city of Busan, South Korea's weather agency said.

High winds have already cut power to almost 5,000 households in the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, including the resort island of Jeju, which has reported more than 473 mm (19 inches) of rainfall since Saturday. Officials have evacuated almost 1,000 people, while more than 300 flights across 10 airports, including Jeju International Airport, have been cancelled. Entries to national parks and some national train services have been suspended, the country's safety ministry added.