By You Soo-sun
Authorities quickly tried to evacuate them as the 5.5 and 5.4-magnitude quakes shook buildings, cut off lights and damaged communication equipment.
Students were sent home early as parents called them and their relatives to check if they were alright.
“I think it lasted for about 20 seconds, followed by two strong aftershocks. We had to evacuate. It was crazy,” a 27-year-old female surnamed Seo told The Korea Times.
Seo was in Daegu, about 70 kilometers away from Pohang, on a business trip.
“The tremor was very severe. And because I was wearing a backpack, I was able to feel the shake even more intensely,” she said.
Seo said she received calls from her family and friends who were worried about her.
The earthquake was the second strongest in the nation’s history, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).
Although it was slightly weaker than the one which took place in Gyeongju last year, it felt stronger.
“Even in Seoul, we were able to feel it. I felt it a few seconds after receiving an emergency text alarm. It was pretty scary,” a 28-year-old named Shin told The Korea Times.
He said he sent text messages and calls to his acquaintances near Pohang to make sure they were safe.
Shin was not the only one.
The quakes ignited a surge in mobile phone calls by two to three times the average.
Pohang and its surrounding area had a rate of nine to 10 times the normal daily volume.
Many also sent text messages using mobile applications such as Kakao.
Korea Telecom, the country’s largest telecommunications company, said its data usage increased by 80 percent following the quake.
Authorities said the country’s nuclear reactors in the natural disaster-hit region had not been affected by the quakes.