Haenam County in South Jeolla, where anotherminorearthquake struck on Sunday morning, has been shaken by more than 70 earthquakes and tremors in the past 10 days, according to authorities.
Seven earthquakes of magnitude 2.0 or greater have struck Haenam since Aug. 14. Including smaller tremors below magnitude 2.0, the area has recorded 71 earthquakes during the period.
The county’s latest quake occurred at around 6:43 a.m. on Sunday, with a magnitude of 3.1. No damage was reported.
The strongest quake reached intensity level IV, at which tremors can be felt by people indoors and rattle dishes and windows.
Level III was recorded in neighboring regions, including Mokpo, Muan, Shinan, Yeongam and Jindo, and level II was observed in Gwangju’s Naju city; Gangjin, Wando, Jangheung and Hampyeong counties; and Gwangsan District.
The earthquakes also had no impact on nuclear power plants, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission said that same day.
The closest reactor facility to the epicenter was the Hanbit Nuclear Power Site, about 83.2 kilometers (52 miles) away. Seismic instruments at the plant recorded ground acceleration of 0.0032g — g being a unit that measures tremors relative to the pull of Earth’s gravity — far below its seismic design standard of 0.2g, and an emergency safety inspection found no abnormalities.
All operating nuclear reactors nationwide remained in normal operation.
A 3.1-magnitude tremor occurs in Haenam County in South Jeolla on Aug. 23.KOREA METEOROLOGICAL ADMINISTRATION
Authorities are closely monitoring the area. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety raised its four-tier earthquake crisis alert by one notch, from the second-lowest level, “interest,” to the second-highest, “caution,” at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
The ministry also convened an interagency meeting led by Kim Yong-kyun, the head of its Natural Disaster Management Office, with officials from the weather agency, the National Fire Agency, Gwangju and Haenam County to assess the situation and review emergency preparedness.
Although Sunday’s earthquake itself was not strong enough to cause direct damage, the ministry raised the alert pre-emptively due to the repeated tremors in the area.
Haenam experienced a similar earthquake swarm six years ago. A series of 76 earthquakes struck the area between April 26 and June 11, 2020, of which 74 occurred between April 26 and May 9. The strongest was also magnitude 3.1.
At the time, the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources concluded that the swarm may have been linked to a group of small- and mid-sized faults about 20.5 kilometers underground. The institute assessed that the activity was unlikely to develop into a major seismic event but noted that continued observation and monitoring were necessary.
Children participate in an earthquake safety drill in Daegu on July 31.NEWS1
Further analysis is needed to determine whether the latest earthquakes are directly related to the swarm six years ago.
“No damage has been reported so far, but earthquakes have repeatedly occurred in the same area,” said Kim Gwang-yong, the vice minister for disaster and safety management.
The vice minister also ordered public servants to “maintain thorough emergency preparedness for the possibility of additional earthquakes and ensure that relevant information is delivered to the public quickly and accurately.”
In the event of an earthquake, people are advised to take cover under a desk and shield their heads with a cushion or bag. Once the shaking subsides, they should evacuate to an open area such as a school field or park. If a tsunami warning is issued, they should immediately seek higher ground or take refuge on a building’s third floor or higher.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
