A magnitude 3 earthquake struck an area northeast of the border county of Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi Province early Sunday, the weather agency said.
The quake occurred in an area 4 kilometers northeast of the county at 4:13 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. It marked the most powerful earthquake reported on the Korean Peninsula this year.
The epicenter was at a latitude of 38.13 degrees north and a longitude of 127.1 degrees east at a depth of 9 km, it said.
The previous earthquake with a magnitude of over 3 reported within the 50-km radius of where the earthquake occurred Sunday took place May 10 last year, when a magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck the area. A total of 19 earthquakes have occurred in the area since 1978.
Sunday's earthquake marks the first time that an earthquake with a magnitude of over 3 was reported on the Korean Peninsula and in waters surrounding it this year. (Yonhap)
