Powerful 7.1 quake strikes Kyushu, shaking South Korea's southern regions (combined)

[Financial News] Tremors were felt on the afternoon of the 28th in many parts of the southern Korean Peninsula, including Busan and South Gyeongsang Province. The shaking was triggered by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in waters near Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. A tsunami advisory was also issued for the Ariake Sea and the Yatsushiro Sea, heightening concern.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake struck at around 4:27 p.m. on the 28th in waters 23 kilometers south of Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. The epicenter was estimated to be 10 kilometers deep.
An instrumental intensity of 2 was recorded in Gangwon Province, Gyeonggi Province, North Gyeongsang Province, Daegu, Ulsan, North Jeolla Province, South Chungcheong Province, and North Chungcheong Province. That level of shaking is typically felt only by a few people indoors in quiet rooms or on upper floors of buildings. Busan, South Gyeongsang Province, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City, and Jeju recorded a stronger intensity of 3, which means most people on upper floors could clearly feel the tremor and parked vehicles would sway slightly.
As a result, posts on social media platforms such as X, formerly Twitter, quickly spread as users said they had felt the quake.
Local media reported that this was the first time Japan had recorded an intensity of 7 since the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January 2024, or about two years and six months ago. They also noted that in 2016, a foreshock of magnitude 6.5 struck near Kumamoto, followed two days later by a main quake of magnitude 7.3 that left 48 people dead, drawing attention to the possibility of aftershocks. Based on reports from the Korea Meteorological Administration and local media, residents and travelers along the coast near the epicenter are advised to confirm their safety.
[email protected] Lee Bo-mi Reporter