Powerful quake rocks southern Korea

A car is damaged by broken walls following an earthquake in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. / Yonhap

A restroom destroyed by the quake at Handong Global University / Yonhap

By Jung Min-ho

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake hit Korea’s southeastern city of Pohang, Wednesday, sending shockwaves throughout the country.

Sauce containers are scattered on the floor of a grocery store in Pohang, following the quake. / Yonhap

The first and most powerful tremor struck the city at 2:29 p.m. and weaker aftershocks continued to shake the area for several minutes, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.

Hundreds of people, including many students, poured out of buildings as they were told to evacuate immediately. Some wore only short-sleeve shirts as they hurried out into the cold.

“Frames hanging on a wall fell to the floor and books fell from shelves,” a 40-year-old resident of a Pohang apartment said. “I was shocked as all this happened in an instant.”

Seven people were reported to have sustained minor injuries as of 4:32 p.m., according to the North Gyeongsang Province Fire Department. The number may increase as rescue workers continue responding to emergency calls.

Thousands of calls flooded regional fire stations across the country, with people reporting in and asking about the tremors.

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon has ordered all related ministries to do all they can to ascertain the full extent of the damage and rescue people.

President Moon Jae-in ordered the convening of a meeting to discuss the situation upon returning from a trip to Southeast Asia.

So far, no major casualties have been reported, but many walls crumbled, windows broke and articles fell from shelves, scaring people. Handong Global University was among the heavily-affected buildings. It also caused brief disruptions to internet and other communication services.

This was the strongest seismic activity in the country since last year’s 5.8 magnitude quake in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

The tremor was felt across the country, including in Seoul, Incheon, Busan, Ulsan, Chuncheon and Gwangju.

“I thought I was just feeling dizzy and then realized I was feeling a quake,” an office worker in Seoul said.

“I was resting inside my home, and saw a table shake for a few seconds,” said a resident of Ilsan, north of Seoul.

Six nuclear reactors are clustered in Gyeongju, about 45 kilometers south of the epicenter. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) said no problems were detected at the reactors.

“All reactors, including those in Gyeongju, are operating normally without a power shutdown or decreased power output,” the KHNP said. “Although there was no damage to the facilities or radiation leaks, we will conduct an in-depth inspection and release the results later.”

Among 24 reactors in the country, 18 are located along the southeastern coast.

Nuclear reactors in the region operated without major issues when the Gyeongju quake hit the region in September 2016. It was the most powerful seismic activity the government has recorded since it started measuring tremors in 1978.

During that quake, subway trains temporarily stopped operation and KTX bullet trains had to reduce speed when they traveled through the quake-hit area in case of additional aftershocks. In the wake of the incident, the Ministry of Public Safety and Security said it will devise more detailed measures against earthquakes.