South Korea has been rattled by three minor earthquakes in and around the southwestern region over the past two days, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said Tuesday.

A 2.4 magnitude earthquake hit Geumsan of South Chungcheong Province, 198 kilometers south of Seoul, shortly after noon Monday, while Mokpo, a South Jeolla port, 410 km south of the capital, logged a 2.1 magnitude quake just before 1 p.m., according to the KMA.

Earlier on Monday, a 2.8 magnitude earthquake hit the North Jeolla county of Jangsu, 318 km south of Seoul.

No human injury or property damage has been reported from the three quakes.

Officials at the KMA said the three quakes were not connected with one another, guarding against any unnecessary fear.

The Geumsan quake occurred at 12:06 p.m., 8 kilometers north of the mountainous county, at a depth of 10 km. The epicenter was at 36.16 degrees north latitude and 127.43 degrees east longitude, the agency said. Except for its sea area, South Chungcheong has been hit by an inland quake for the first time since October 2018, when a 2 magnitude quake occurred.

The Mokpo quake took place 46 minutes later in waters 17 km south of the port city at a depth of 22 km, with the epicenter at 34.66 degrees north latitude and 126.41 degrees east longitude. Last Friday, a Yellow Sea island off Mokpo reported a 2.3 magnitude quake.

"Jangsu is not a quake-prone area, and it seems that Monday's quake independently occurred by chance in the process of energy accumulated on the ground being released," a KMA official said.

"In Geumsan and nearby areas, earthquakes have occurred frequently in the past," the official said. "Damage is not expected from this week's three quakes." (Yonhap)