Super typhoon leaves Korean travelers stranded in Guam, Saipan

Hundreds of Korean travelers who traveled to Northern Mariana Islands including Guam and Saipan are left stranded on the islands as of Thursday, with Super Typhoon Mawar lashing the territory with strongest downpour of wind and rain the region has seen in decades.

According to Hana Tour, a Korean travel agency, approximately 230 travelers failed to take the return flight home on Tuesday due to the storm.

"We heard from the local sources in Guam that Guam's airports will be closed until June 1," said a Hana Tour official.

He added that as of now, they are unsure if the airports in Saipan will open, as well.

"Our travelers reported no physical damages," he said, adding that travelers of Hana Tour, according to internal rules, will be provided with 100,000 won's ($75) worth of accommodation support per night for every day they spend in the storm-hit area.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told Yonhap News that a total of about 3,000 Korean travelers had been stranded in Guam.

According to the official, although there are reported cases of power outages and destruction of property damages, there had been no major physical casualties caused by the super typhoon.

The official added it is currently possible for residents of the storm-hit area to move outside, and local diplomatic missions are in contact with the Guam Aviation Administration to figure out the exact number and situation of Korean tourists in Guam.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the super typhoon passed northwest of Guam 180 kilometers above sea level as of 9 a.m. on Thursday.

Typhoon Mawar was upgraded to a super typhoon on Thursday, which means that its wind strength had exceeded 240 kilometers per hour.

Mawar is expected to be recorded as the strongest typhoon in decades approaching Guam.