Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in North Korea
North Korea has catalogued 12 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 132nd of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.4.
North Korea ranks 132nd of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 1 M4+ events a year alongside 8 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Its M6+ record runs from 1905 to 1990, peaking in 1905.
- 12
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 8
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M7.4
- Strongest
- ~1
- M4+ per year
The verdict
North Korea is below the global median in catalogued seismic activity, with 12 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 8 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.4.
- 1905
- busiest year (1 major events)
- 483 km
- average recorded event depth
- 13%
- of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.6 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Botswana sits immediately above at 13 events and Austria sits immediately below at 11.
Catalog event strip
Event tape NORTH-KOREA · North Korea M4+ · 132nd/187
North Korea · 12 M4+ · max M7.4 · 8 M6+
- DEPTH 12
- PHOTO 132nd/187
- BUSY M7.4
- SHAL 8
- PCT near Botswana
- VS-PEER 13% shallow
Stamps derive from this country's USGS ComCat row (M4+ book, rank, peak magnitude, M6+ record, ladder neighbour, depth/peak year), not a hazard forecast. PlainQuake is informational only - not professional advice and not a substitute for official USGS guidance. See our disclaimer. Verify with USGS ComCat → · Read with methodology → · How earthquakes are measured → · Reading earthquake data → · All country catalog rows → · Countries ranked →
Observed impact record
What ComCat observed after earthquakes in North Korea
USGS recorded Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for 2 events in this catalogued record; their average observed intensity was MMI 4.2. These are only events with an observation, not an estimate of future shaking or a safety rating.
- MMI observations
- 2
- Average observed MMI
- 4.2
- PAGER alerts / tsunami flags
- 0 / 0
Source: USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) GeoJSON impact fields. Missing MMI, alert, and tsunami values remain unreported rather than being treated as zero.
Where North Korea sits in the catalog
Rank 132nd of 187 tracked countries (26th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Botswana sits immediately above at 13 events and Austria sits immediately below at 11.
Same M4+ count, broken by peak magnitude
8 tracked countries share North Korea's exact count of 12 M4+ events since 2005. Among that cohort, North Korea ranks 1st of 8 by strongest recorded magnitude (M5.9).
Major (M6+) earthquakes in North Korea by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1905
1905: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1917
1917: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1952
1952: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1954
1954: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1960
1960: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1973
1973: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1979
1979: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1990
1990: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows North Korea's most active year for major earthquakes was 1905 (1 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
0 of 12 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 8 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for North Korea.
M7.0-7.9
1
12.5%
M6.0-6.9
7
87.5%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 8 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 483 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
1
12.5% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Deep (>300 km)
7
87.5% of events
Strongest earthquakes in North Korea
The 8 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.4 | 7 km WSW of Rajin, North Korea | 460.0 km | Jul 31, 1917 |
| 6.8 | 108 km SSE of Kilju, North Korea | 607.5 km | Oct 8, 1960 |
| 6.6 | 5 km SE of Namyang, North Korea | 470.0 km | Aug 25, 1905 |
| 6.5 | 61 km SSE of Ungsang-nodongjagu, North Korea | 575.0 km | Sep 29, 1973 |
| 6.4 | 212 km ESE of Hoemul-li, North Korea | 551.7 km | Nov 19, 1954 |
| 6.3 | 67 km SE of Rajin, North Korea | 578.5 km | May 11, 1990 |
| 6.3 | 3 km ENE of Chunghwa, North Korea | 35.0 km | Mar 19, 1952 |
| 6.1 | 64 km SE of Rajin, North Korea | 588.0 km | Aug 16, 1979 |
Significant earthquake record (8 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in North Korea since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.3 | 67 km SE of Rajin, North Korea | 578.5 km | May 11, 1990 |
| 6.1 | 64 km SE of Rajin, North Korea | 588.0 km | Aug 16, 1979 |
| 6.5 | 61 km SSE of Ungsang-nodongjagu, North Korea | 575.0 km | Sep 29, 1973 |
| 6.8 | 108 km SSE of Kilju, North Korea | 607.5 km | Oct 8, 1960 |
| 6.4 | 212 km ESE of Hoemul-li, North Korea | 551.7 km | Nov 19, 1954 |
| 6.3 | 3 km ENE of Chunghwa, North Korea | 35.0 km | Mar 19, 1952 |
| 7.4 | 7 km WSW of Rajin, North Korea | 460.0 km | Jul 31, 1917 |
| 6.6 | 5 km SE of Namyang, North Korea | 470.0 km | Aug 25, 1905 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A North Korea-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second North Korea-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Showing 6 of 186 countries with a recorded max magnitude.
According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 317,293 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,444 significant M6+ events (USGS ComCat, 2005-present) -- no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-26.