Rare 5.4 magnitude earthquake hits off South Korea’s coast
Quake detected near southeastern port city of Pohang
A rare 5.4-magnitude earthquake hit South Korea’s southeast Wednesday afternoon, the second most powerful quake on record, in a country that seldom experiences significant tremors.
The quake, which was felt across much of the country including in the capital Seoul, struck at the shallow depth of nine kilometres near the southeastern industrial city of Pohang at around 2:30pm, the Korea Meteorological Administration said.
The Korean peninsula rarely has to worry about significant quakes, unlike neighbouring Japan.
But seismic activity is closely monitored because a spike in activity is often the first indication that North Korea has carried out a nuclear test.
The South Korean port city of Pohang is the home to the headquarters of Posco - the country’s top, and the world’s fourth largest, steelmaker.
Photos and video footage sent to local TV stations showed crumbled street walls and furniture violently shaking inside people’s homes.