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| /Korea Times File |
By Lee Han-soo
Many fear that Korea is no longer in an earthquake "safe zone" after a 5.8-magnitude quake, the most powerful since records began in 1978, rattled the historic city of Gyeonju, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday night.
South Korea has long been considered a haven from major earthquakes because of its distance from the so-called "Ring of Fire," where 90 percent of earthquakes occur.
But Monday's 5.8 and 5.1-magnitude quakes around Gyeonju, combined with recent small tremors on the Korean Peninsula, have raised concerns about more seismic activity.
The previous strongest earthquake to hit Korea was recorded in 1978, near Songni Mountain in North Chungcheong Province. Eight earthquakes above magnitude 5.0 in or near South Korea have been reported since 1978. Two occurred inland.
Except for 2015, there has been at least one earthquake over 4.0-magnitude every year since 2013.
Although South Korea's meteorological chief said an earthquake over magnitude 6.5 is unlikely and moderate tremors may occur on Tuesday, some are still worried.
"The location of the Kumamoto quakes lies on the same tectonic plate as the Korean Peninsula, so the possibility of a 5 to 5.5-magnitude quake occurring in coming years has risen," a researcher at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources said.
Experts say that if an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 or above hits Korea, mass casualties are possible because many buildings are not built to withstand quakes.
