5.0-magnitude earthquake detected near Ulsan

By Park Si-soo, Kim Jae-won

A 5.0-magnitude earthquake was detected in waters 52 kilometers off the southeastern port city of Ulsan at 8:33 p.m., said the state weather agency.

The shockwave was detected across North and South Gyeongsang provinces, including big cities such as Busan and Daegu. A 2.6-magnitude aftershock was detected at 9:24 p.m. There were no immediate reports of casualties or property damage, said the Ministry of Public Safety and Security.

"I ran out of my office after feeling violent shaking," a salaried worker living in Pohang, several kilometers north of Ulsan, told The Korea Times over the phone. "A flower base and framed photos hanging on the wall were shaken so hard."

According to Yonhap News Agency, the earthquake was strong enough to shake buildings and make objects fall from tables and shelves. Nearly 7,000 people called the emergency hotline, it reported.

Residents in an apartment in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, were evacuated due to the earthquake. Students at two high schools in the region were also evacuated after the shockwave occurred.

"First, I thought that a car had crashed into my office," a Yangsan resident was quoted as saying by Yonhap. "I was anxious because the chair was trembling."

It was the third earthquake in waters off Ulsan this year, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.