4.9-magnitude earthquake strikes off Jeju Island
This map, provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration, shows the epicenter of the 4.9-magnitude earthquake that struck off Jeju Island, Dec. 14.
A 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck off South Korea's southern island of Jeju, Tuesday afternoon, according to the state weather agency, which added that no injuries or serious damage were reported.
The quake occurred at 5:19 p.m. in waters about 41 kilometers off the island's southwestern city of Seogwipo, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.
The epicenter was at latitude 33.14 degrees north and longitude 126.24 east at a depth of 17 km, and residents must have felt strong vibrations, the KMA noted.
Residents said they saw refrigerators swaying and children running out of their homes in distress.
The National Fire Agency said it received over 160 reports of the tremor that could be felt nationwide, and two damage reports -- a twisted railing and a broken window -- on Jeju.
As of 8:30 p.m. there had been nine aftershocks with magnitudes of 1.5 to 1.7, the KMA said, adding there was no risk of a tsunami. It asked Jeju residents to stay vigilant for more tremors.
The KMA initially announced that the earthquake was 5.3 in magnitude but later adjusted it to 4.9.
The agency said it was trying to confirm any further reports of damage.
The quake was the 11th-strongest to strike on or off South Korea in terms of magnitude and the biggest to hit the island since records began being kept.
The strongest tremor was a 5.8 magnitude quake that hit the southeastern city of Gyeongju, Sept. 12, 2016.
(Yonhap)