Magnitude 3.9 quake hit southwest of S. Korea

A Korea Meteorological Administration researcher examines a map showing the earthquake that hit southwest Korea early Tuesday. The 3.9 magnitude was the strongest on the peninsula this year. (Yonhap)

By Kim Se-jung

The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources reported that a magnitude 3.9 earthquake occurred in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, 250 kilometers south of Seoul, at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The temblor, whose epicenter was about 8 kilometers north of Iksan, was the strongest this year. No casualties or damage was reported.

Speaking to a local newspaper, an Iksan resident surnamed Lee, 57, said, “The windows of my home shook for almost 10 seconds, and I even heard a bang.”

The quake was felt as far away as Busan and Seoul.

A Busan resident also said, “I saw my windows shake for five seconds in the morning.”

Fire stations across the country received calls from people who felt the tremor. The North Jeolla provincial fire station said it had received almost 100 calls in the morning.

Quakes hitting the peninsula are usually too weak to feel from a distance, but people can feel the ground shaking if the magnitude is over 3, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. Korea has an average of nine quakes over magnitude of 3 a year, it said.

This year, a quake with a magnitude of 3.7 took place in waters 22 kilometers off Jeju Island on Aug. 3, and one with a magnitude of 3.5 was felt 18 kilometers away from Yeonpyeong Island near Incheon on Jan. 8.