An official at the Korea Meteorological Administration points to the location near Buan County, North Jeolla Province, where a 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck on Wednesday morning, on a map displayed at the administration in Seoul. Yonhap

A 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck an area near the southwestern county of Buan, North Jeolla Province, on Wednesday morning, marking the strongest tremor to be detected on the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding waters so far this year.

Usually, North Jeolla Province seldom experiences earthquakes, and it was the first time that a quake with a magnitude of more than 4 has occurred in the region.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the epicenter of the quake was detected 4 kilometers south-southwest of Buan at 8:26 a.m., with a latitude of 35.7 degrees north, a longitude of 126.71 degrees east, and a depth of 8 kilometers.

Over a dozen aftershocks were reported in the ensuing hours in the region, including a 3.1-magnitude quake at 1:55 p.m., according to the KMA. The agency advised people to watch out for their safety as additional tremors may be felt in areas near the epicenter of the quake.

The quake was felt throughout the region in North Jeollla Province, and other surrounding areas.

"I felt the quake this morning. I live on the 15th floor, but I could feel the tremors coming up from the ground. They lasted for several seconds," said Park Hyo-seon, a resident of Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, approximately 26 kilometers away from Buan.

Yoo Kyung-jong, a resident of Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, approximately 36 kilometers away, said, "I was staying at home and I felt the whole building shake mildly for about 10 seconds. I thought a helicopter was passing by."

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety raised the government's disaster alert status to level 1, the lowest in a three-stage system.

"Only minor damage was reported. There were no immediate reports of injuries or serious damage," Interior Minister Lee Sang-min said.

The interior ministry and local fire departments received a total of 309 earthquake reports nationwide and 32 cases of public facility damage, such as cracks on the outside of buildings.

"However, there are major infrastructure facilities such as Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant and Cheongho Reservoir near the earthquake site, so I ask relevant ministries and the local government to carefully monitor the situation," Lee said.

The earthquake did not affect any nuclear power plants, according to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min presides over an emergency meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on the earthquake that struck near the southwestern county of Buan, at Government Complex Sejong, Wednesday. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is currently on a state visit to Kazakhstan, instructed his officials to carry out swift safety checks and damage assessments.

"The president called for continually providing swift and accurate information to the public so the people won't get anxious about the possibility of an aftershock," his office said in a statement.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ordered relevant ministries and agencies to assess the damage as soon as possible, inspect key infrastructure such as power plants and transportation networks and ensure the safety of the public.

The earthquake was the 16th most powerful quake recorded since 1978 when the KMA began measuring tremors. The last major earthquake occurred in May last year, with a 4.5-magnitude quake detected in waters off the coastal city of Donghae in Gangwon Province. In February 2018, a 4.6-magnitude quake occurred in waters off the city of Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province. The most powerful quake was detected in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in September 2016, when a 5.8 magnitude quake hit the region.