2.5-magnitude earthquake rattles 'nuclear town'; no radiation leak reported

The site of the 2.5-magnitude earthquake that hit the southeastern coastal town of Uljin early Wednesday. / Captured from KMA homepage

By Park Si-soo

A 2.5-magnitude earthquake hit the southeastern coastal town of Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, early Wednesday.

It happened at 05:01 a.m., seven kilometers west of the town ― where a giant nuclear power plant is located ― at a depth of 11 kilometers, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.

There were no reports of property damage or casualties, KMA officials said.

No radiation leak from the plant was reported, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) that supervises the nation's nuclear facilities said.

“The plant is located 11.8 kilometers away from the epicenter,” the NSSC said. “No radiation leak was confirmed. We are checking the plant's structure and other details to make sure the earthquake caused no damage to the plant.”