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Magnitude 3 earthquake hits northern Gyeonggi

Published: 15 Feb. 2026, 11:13

The red dot shows the area where a magnitude 3 earthquake was detected in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi, on Feb. 15. [YONHAP]

A magnitude 3 earthquake struck an area in the northeast part of the border county of Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi early Sunday, the weather agency said.

The quake occurred in an area 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) northeast of the county at 4:13 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. It marked the most powerful earthquake reported on the Korean Peninsula this year.

The epicenter was at a latitude of 38.13 degrees north and a longitude of 127.1 degrees east at a depth of 9 kilometers, it said.

The last earthquake with a magnitude of over 3 to be reported within a 50-kilometer radius of Sunday's tremors took place on May 10 last year, when a magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck the area. A total of 19 earthquakes have occurred in the area since 1978.

Sunday's quake marks the first time an earthquake with a magnitude of over 3 was reported on the Korean Peninsula and in surrounding waters this year.

Yonhap