Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in South Korea
South Korea has catalogued 15 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 127th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M6.2.
South Korea ranks 127th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 1 M4+ events a year alongside 1 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. The M6+ record here is a single event, so one quake sets every figure on this page.
- 15
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 1
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M6.2
- Strongest
- ~1
- M4+ per year
The verdict
South Korea is below the global median in catalogued seismic activity, with 15 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 1 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 6.2.
- 1975
- busiest year (1 major events)
- 560 km
- average recorded event depth
- 0%
- of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.8 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Ukraine sits immediately above at 17 events and French Southern Territories sits immediately below at 14.
Catalog event strip
Event tape SOUTH-KOREA · South Korea M4+ · 127th/187
South Korea · 15 M4+ · max M6.2 · 1 M6+
- EPIC 15
- YOY 127th/187
- BAND M6.2
- STRIP 1
- BOOK near Ukraine
- RANK 0% 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 →
Where South Korea sits in the catalog
Rank 127th of 187 tracked countries (32th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Ukraine sits immediately above at 17 events and French Southern Territories sits immediately below at 14.
- Ukraine - next more active (17 M4+)
- French Southern Territories - next less active (14 M4+)
Same M4+ count, broken by peak magnitude
2 tracked countries share South Korea's exact count of 15 M4+ events since 2005. Among that cohort, South Korea ranks 1st of 2 by strongest recorded magnitude (M5.5).
| Country | M4+ count | Strongest |
|---|---|---|
| South Korea (this page) | 15 | M5.5 |
| Saint Lucia | 15 | M5.2 |
0 of 15 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 1 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for South Korea.
M6.0-6.9
1
100.0%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 1 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 560 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
0
0.0% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Deep (>300 km)
1
100.0% of events
Strongest earthquakes in South Korea
The 1 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2 | 136 km ENE of Sokcho, South Korea | 560.0 km | Jun 29, 1975 |
Significant earthquake record (1 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in South Korea since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2 | 136 km ENE of Sokcho, South Korea | 560.0 km | Jun 29, 1975 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A South Korea-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second South 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.