Magnitude 4.8 Earthquake in Buan, Jeonbuk... 309 Damage Reports Received (Comprehensive Report 2)

32 Facility Damage Reports Received... Jeonbuk Seismic Intensity 5
Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Requests "Relevant Ministries and Local Governments to Assess Damage"

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake occurred in Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do, and over 300 reports of 'feeling the tremor' were received nationwide. The government held a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and urged thorough measures against aftershocks and additional damage.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) on the 12th, the magnitude 4.8 earthquake occurred at 8:26 a.m. at a point 4 km south-southwest of Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do, and as of 11 a.m., there were 12 aftershocks. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety activated CDSCH Level 1 around 8:35 a.m. and issued an earthquake crisis alert at the "Warning" level. The earthquake crisis alert levels are issued in the order of Interest - Caution - Warning - Serious.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, requested at the CDSCH meeting that day, "Since there are major infrastructure facilities such as Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant in Yeonggwang, Jeollanam-do, and Cheongho Reservoir in Buan near the earthquake epicenter, related ministries and local governments should once again carefully assess the damage situation."

Facility damage was reported 31 times in Buan, where the earthquake directly occurred, and once in Iksan. In Baeksan-myeon, Buan-gun, bathroom tiles were broken, and in Namjung-dong, Iksan-si, a detached house wall was reported to have tilted. No casualties have been confirmed yet.

According to the Fire Agency's tally, 309 reports of tremors were received nationwide as of 11:30 a.m. By region: ▲Seoul 7 ▲Busan 2 ▲Daegu 1 ▲Gwangju 23 ▲Daejeon 21 ▲Sejong 9 ▲Gyeonggi 49 ▲Gangwon 2 ▲Chungbuk 41 ▲Chungnam 43 ▲Jeonbuk 77 ▲Jeonnam 23 ▲Gyeongbuk 6 ▲Changwon 5.

The instrumental intensity indicating the degree of shaking felt was highest in Jeonbuk at 5. Jeonnam recorded an instrumental intensity of 4, and Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Daejeon, Sejong, Incheon, Chungnam, and Chungbuk were assessed at 3.

Related ministries also responded to the earthquake. According to the Ministry of Education, some facility cracks were confirmed in three schools in Buan, one school in Gimje, and one school in Daejeon. Four schools in Chungbuk, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, and Jeonnam were closed that day; one school in Chungnam adjusted school hours; and two schools in Chungbuk and Jeonbuk started shortened classes.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy disseminated the situation to facilities such as nuclear power plants and gas and began assessing damage. The Hanbit Headquarters near the epicenter activated the earthquake trigger, but it is currently known that there is no abnormality in nuclear power plant operations. The trigger means that the nuclear power plant detected the earthquake.

The Korea Forest Service issued a landslide crisis alert at the "Warning" level around 9 a.m., but no reports of landslides or ground slips have been received. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power stated that there are no abnormalities in eight hydroelectric dams including Hwacheon Hydroelectric and 13 pumped-storage dams including Cheongyang Pumped Storage.

This earthquake is the largest magnitude earthquake that has occurred on the Korean Peninsula and surrounding waters this year. It is the 16th strongest since the Korea Meteorological Administration began instrumental earthquake observation in 1978 and the 12th strongest since digital observation began in 1999. It has been about a year since a magnitude 4.5 earthquake occurred on May 15 last year in the sea area 52 km northeast of Donghae-si, Gangwon-do. On land, it has been about six years since a magnitude 4.6 earthquake occurred on February 11, 2018, in the sea area 4 km northwest of Buk-gu, Pohang-si, Gyeongbuk-do.