A 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the southwestern county of Buan on Wednesday, the weather agency said.

The quake struck 4 kilometers south-southwest of the North Jeolla county, 204 km south of Seoul, at 8:26 a.m. at an estimated depth of 8 km, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The epicenter was at 35.7 degrees north latitude and 126.71 degrees east longitude, the KMA said, noting it is the strongest to have occurred on the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding waters this year.

The North Jeolla provincial government said it has not received any reports of facility damage or casualties related to the quake.

Citizens in Jeonju, the capital of North Jeolla Province, called fire authorities to say that they felt a rather strong vibration for a few seconds mostly on their way to work. “At first, I thought it was an explosion coming from a construction site. I was momentarily shocked,” a Jeonju citizen said.

People in Sejong, about 140 km from Buan, also reported that chairs an
d TVs in offices and homes were shaking at the time of the quake.

The KMA initially said the magnitude was 4.7 but revised it upward after a detailed analysis.

It is the first time in about a year for the nation to be hit by a quake of magnitude 4.5 or greater. On May 15 last year, a 4.5 magnitude quake struck in waters off the northeastern coastal city of Donghae. In February 2018, a quake of magnitude 4.6 occurred in waters off the southeastern city of Pohang.

Source: Yonhap News Agency