5.8-Magnitude Quake Rattles Historic Gyeongju

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake rattled the historic southern city of Gyeongju on Monday night, the Korea Meteorological Administration said. It was the most powerful earthquake to hit Korea since seismic records started in 1978.

The quake forced a gas power plant in nearby Ulsan to shut, while tremors could be felt across the nation. A tremor of 2.0 on the Richter scale could be felt as far away as Seoul, where people had temporary problems getting a mobile signal.

The epicenter of the earthquake was 8 km southwest of Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province. A 5.1-magnitude earthquake occurred at 7:44 p.m. just 1.4 km away before the bigger quake struck at 8:32 p.m.

Forty five aftershocks measuring 2 to 3 were felt until 11 p.m.

It came just two months after a 5.0-magnitude quake off the coast of Ulsan on July 5.

Residents of high-rise condominiums in the southern port city of Busan hurried outside as their buildings were rocked by the quake, and bullet trains were forced to a halt in North and South Gyeongsang provinces.