Democratic People's Republic of Korea's leader Kim Jong Un said Typhoon Bavi had caused only minimal damage to the country after making landfall early on Thursday, state news media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Friday.

Kim visited regions in the country's southwestern province of Hwanghae, which was hard-hit by Typhoon Bavi.

Earlier the leader issued an alert to prevent crop damage and casualties from the typhoon, which made landfall near the capital Pyongyang, dumping heavy rains and uprooting trees.

Kim said the scale of damage from Typhoon Bavi, which DPRK refers to as Typhoon No. 8, is smaller than expected, adding that he had worried a lot and he feels it is fortunate to have that amount of damage.

The KCTV state TV showed scenes of damage from the storm. Heavy rains earlier this month that caused flooding and damaged crops.

During his visit, Kim praised party officials for taking measures to reduce casualties and minimize damage from the storm. 

(With input from Reuters, Yonhap)

(Cover: DPRK's leader Kim Jong Un inspects the typhoon-damaged area in Hwanghae Province, DPRK, in this image released by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on August 27, 2020. /Reuters)