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8. 5.8 Magnitude Quake Jolts Gyeongju Area

2016-12-29

5.8 Magnitude Quake Jolts Gyeongju Area

The most powerful earthquake ever to hit the inland areas of the Korean Peninsula occurred in Gyeongju City in North Gyeongsang Province in September, completely reversing the perception that South Korea is safe from earthquakes.

A five-point-one magnitude earthquake occurred at around 7:45 p.m. on September 12th at a site some eight kilometers southwest of Gyeongju. Then shortly after around 8:30 p.m., another quake, this time measuring five-point-eight on the Richter scale, occurred nearby.

The second quake was the most powerful to jolt the peninsula since the nation began keeping records of seismological observations in 1978. After the two quakes, more than 540 aftershocks occurred.

Major damage was reported in Gyeongju while the rest of the nation was gripped by fear with vibrations felt in areas as far as in the capital Seoul.

The Ministry of Public Safety and Security announced that 23 people were injured and some five-thousand-120 property damage cases were reported in Gyeongju, Ulsan and Pohang.

Four nuclear reactors at the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant in Gyeongju, which were turned off following the temblor, resumed operations three months later in December.

Many buildings and traditional hanok houses suffered damage from the powerful quake.

On September 22nd, the government designated Gyeongju City as a special disaster zone. It marked the first time for the government to make such designation due to earthquake damage. The designation allowed the central government to inject additional support into restoration efforts as special disaster zones can receive state funds for up to 80 percent of restoration expenses. Affected residents receive benefits in their tax, health insurance and utility fee payments.

Nevertheless, the powerful quake and the tremors that lasted afterward changed the lives of Gyeongju residents. Many became concerned about quakes while knowing what to do in the event of natural disasters became a priority.

The government, on its part, decided to create tougher standards on quake-proof designs for buildings and other infrastructure as part of efforts to boost its ability to respond to quakes.