M3.1 earthquake struck Chungju city early Friday morning; no damage reported

Meanwhile an earthquake measuring slightly above three on the Richter scale struck the central part of Korea in the wee hours of this Friday.

Our Kim Jung-sil has more.

Early Friday morning, around 2:35 AM, a magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck the central region of the country, waking people with the shake.

The epicenter was located about 22 kilometers northwest of Chungju city, at a depth of 9 kilometers.

The quake was felt in surrounding areas of Chungju, including Gangwon-do and parts of Gyeonggi-do Provinces.

Initially, the Korea Meteorological Administration estimated the quake's magnitude at 4.2, but after further analysis, it was revised to 3.1.

South Korea uses the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale to measure earthquake intensity, with 10 being the strongest.

In this case, the highest tremor intensity reported in Chungju was level 5, or moderate intensity.

"Level 5 means that nearly everyone in the area felt the shaking, with items like dishes and windows breaking, and unstable objects tipping over. Two aftershocks occurred by 8:30 AM, with smaller magnitudes."

Experts also suggested further caution for those in the affected areas.

"Although this earthquake is relatively small compared to those occurring in seismic hotspots, it may have caused strong shaking that could make some people feel uneasy. If you feel tremors, it is important to stay calm and prioritize protecting your head and body."

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has confirmed that there were no significant injuries or damages, with over 20 reports of 'shaking' as of Friday morning, the most coming from Gangwon-do with 15 reports.

The Ministry has activated the emergency response system and issued an earthquake warning for the affected areas.

It has also dispatched a field situation manager to Chungju to oversee the situation and ensure proper management.

Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.