A magnitude-4.9 earthquake hit near the waters off of Sinan, South Jeolla Province, at 8:21 a.m. on Sunday, recording the strongest tremor detected in South Korea this year.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the quake’s epicenter was 101 kilometers northwest of Heuksan County, a small town in Shinan. No damage or causalities were reported, as the quake happened underwater far from the coast, officials said. But many residents in Heuksan county said they felt the shock and saw windows of buildings shaking. The quake lasted for 4 seconds, they added.

The quake is the sixth-strongest quake in Korea since it started seismological records in 1978, officials said.

The strongest quake in Korea occurred near the waters of Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, in 2004, with a magnitude of 5.2. 


By Cho Chung-un
(christory@heraldcorp.com)