The government has raised its crisis alert to the highest level as Typhoon Maysak moves closer to the Korean Peninsula.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said on Wednesday that as of 9 a.m., the warning system set in motion against strong winds and heavy rains was upgraded from “alert” to “serious.” The headquarters also marked up its emergency response system by a notch to the highest Level Three. 

The season's ninth typhoon is traveling northward at 18 kilometers per hour over waters some 310 kilometers south of Jeju Island as of 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.

It has a central pressure of 945 hectoPascal, accompanied by a maximum wind speed of 45 meters per second.

Typhoon Maysak is expected to pass through waters east of Jeju Island on Wednesday evening and reach southern waters near Busan early Thursday before exiting the country later in the day.