Record earthquake jolts S. Korea

The quake detected at 8:32 p.m. was the strongest tremor reported on the Korean Peninsula to date, being noticeably stronger than the magnitude-5.3 tremor that rocked the eastern Pyongan region in North Korea in January 1980, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said. It added that the epicenter was near the Naenam-myeon region some 8 kilometers south of the historic city of Gyeongju.

The quake was preceded by a 5.1-magnitude tremor detected at 7:44 p.m. which was centered about 9 kilometers south of Gyeongju. The second quake was felt in most parts of the country that generally does not have a lot of tremors. Gyeongju is the old capital of the Shilla Kingdom (57 B.C.-935 A.D) and is located 371 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

The KMA said the series of earthquakes were strong enough to be felt throughout the nation. An official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government said the second tremor felt like a magnitude-2 earthquake in the capital city.

The agency also said South Korea suffered from 45 aftershocks estimated at a magnitude of between 2 and 3, adding the number may increase.
No serious damage was immediately reported, although there were two injuries, the KMA said.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., which operates the country's nuclear plants, said none of its reactors including those at the Wolsong, Hanul and Gori plants, which are close to the epicenter, were affected by the earthquake, adding they are still producing electricity. On the other hand, a combined cycle power plant in Ulsan, not far from Gyeongju, reported one of its thermal power generation units going off line.

Most people in the region near the quakes' centers felt homes and buildings shake violently, with residents living in an 80-story highrise in South Korea's largest port city of Busan saying they felt the building shudder. Busan International Finance Center said it evacuated most people from its 63-story building as a precautionary measure.

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