The government has expressed sincere condolences to the victims of a powerful earthquake that shook Taiwan on Wednesday morning. 

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk told reporters on Thursday that South Korea deeply empathizes with the loss of lives and destruction of property stemming from the quake of a magnitude of more than seven.

As of 10 p.m. Wednesday, the death toll from the quake that occurred near Hualien County on the east coast stood at nine and the number of injured reached over one-thousand.  

Lim said South Korea hopes that Taiwan will swiftly recover from the pain and hardship caused by the disaster, adding that Seoul is willing to provide necessary aid for rescue and restoration efforts.

Taipei reportedly has yet to express the need for international aid.