Magnitude 4.6 quake rocks Pohang
Pohang citizens gather at Heunghae Stadium in Pohang, Sunday, after a 4.6-magnitude quake hit the city early in the morning. / Yonhap
A magnitude 4.6 quake rocked the industrial city of Pohang early Sunday, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said later the same day, and some cases of damage have been reported.
The quake, an aftershock of the magnitude 5.4 tremor that hit the region November 15 of last year, was felt throughout the city, located 370 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The tremor caused nearby residents to take shelter, the weather agency said.
It said the tremor took place at 05:03 with the epicenter located 14 kilometers underground and 5 kilometers north of Buk-gu, a ward in the city. The aftershock was the strongest since the magnitude 4.3 jolt that occurred three months earlier.
Emergency services in the city reported 16 cases of damages as of 6 a.m., with efforts being made to assess exact extent of the quake. Pohang municipal authorities said they are inspecting buildings throughout the city to check for serious damage.
POSCO, South Korea's largest steelmaker, which has its main mill in the city, said its operations have not been disrupted, while Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), the country's atomic energy operator, said none of its nuclear plants have been affected.
The KHNP added that no damage has been reported at the nearby nuclear waste repository. (Yonhap)