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An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 on the Richter scale struck at 7:14 p.m. on Saturday in the area 80 kilometers east of Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) announced that the magnitude was the same scale as the earthquake that struck Mt. Songni on Sept. 16, 1978, which was reported as the strongest since the nation started seismological observations in 1978. It was the fourth earthquake with a magnitude over 5.0.
There were reports from Uljin, Pohang and other areas of North Gyeongsang Province that buildings shook, and there were reports from metropolitan areas such as Incheon and Seoul that they ¡°felt vibrations.¡± The Uljin nuclear power plant went into emergency mode. North Gyeongsang Province issued precautions for tidal waves to Pohang, Gyeongju, Uljin, Yeongdeok and Ulleung, but no unusual damage occurred.
Earthquakes with a magnitude over 4.0 are categorized as ¡°major earthquakes¡± and there were 28 such quakes in Korea since 1978. This was the first major quake this year. There was a 5.0 scale earthquake in the sea area 80 kilometers west-south-west of Baeknyeong Island on March 30, 2003.
(Lee Wi-jae, wjlee@chosun.com )
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