Ministry of the Interior and Safety Holds Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting and Dispatches On-Site Situation Manager for Chungju 3.1 Earthquake... No Damage Reported

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety held a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the morning of the 7th, following an earthquake of magnitude 3.1 that occurred 22 km northwest of Chungju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, and urgently dispatched an on-site situation manager to Chungju-si to confirm the situation and manage the response.

At around 3:30 a.m. that day, the Ministry held the first meeting of the Central Disaster Headquarters chaired by the deputy head, checking for damage to major facilities such as industry, transportation, nuclear power plants, and dams.

Lee Han-kyung, Director of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, said, "Relevant ministries and local governments should promptly carry out response activities to minimize casualties and property damage, and maintain an emergency response posture in preparation for additional earthquakes." He added, "Quickly inspect major infrastructure, take immediate action if damage is found, and disseminate related information quickly and accurately."

According to the National Fire Agency, as of 5 a.m. that day, 23 reports of shaking were received: 13 in Gangwon, 8 in Chungbuk, and 2 in Gyeonggi. No damage reports have been received so far, but they are checking for any additional damage.

The epicenter of the earthquake that occurred at around 2:35 a.m. that day was at 37.14 degrees north latitude and 127.76 degrees east longitude, in Angseong-myeon, Chungju-si, according to administrative districts. The depth of the hypocenter was estimated to be 9 km. The Korea Meteorological Administration initially estimated the magnitude at 4.2 but adjusted it to 3.1 after further analysis. Due to this earthquake, it is believed that in Chungju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, a shaking intensity of 5 on the seismic scale was felt, which means "almost everyone felt it, and dishes and windows may have broken."

The Korea Meteorological Administration urged, "There may be some damage near the earthquake area, so please be cautious about safety."