Magnitude 3.1 Earthquake Hits Haenam, South Jeolla Province; All 23 Nearby Nuclear Reactors Operating Normally

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake occurred 21km northwest of Haenam County, South Jeolla Province, at 6:43:01 a.m. today. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the epicenter was located at 34.66 degrees north latitude and 126.40 degrees east longitude, with a focal depth estimated at 21km. The KMA urged caution regarding safety, noting that tremors could be felt in areas near the epicenter. In the northwest Haenam region, there have been 7 earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or higher in the last 10 days, and a total of 71 including micro-earthquakes. Previously, 76 earthquakes occurred in the same region from April 26 to June 11, 2020.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) stated that all currently operating nuclear reactors are functioning normally and have been unaffected by the earthquake. According to KHNP, seismic readings at each plant were all confirmed to be below the earthquake alert threshold of 0.01g.

The Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant, the nuclear facility closest to the epicenter, is located approximately 83.2km away. The seismic reading recorded during this earthquake was 0.0032g, which is lower than Hanbit's seismic design value of 0.2g. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) conducted emergency safety inspections and confirmed that no abnormalities were found at the Hanbit site or other domestic nuclear facilities, ultimately verifying that there are no issues with facility safety.