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.
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+)
South Korea's M4+ count vs. every tracked country
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
15 Top 68% higher than 32% of 187 countries
Each bar is a 500-wide band; taller bars hold more countries. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) · 2005-present
How South Korea compares to its nearest peers
South Korea ranks in the 32th percentile for M4+ frequency among all 187 tracked countries. Plotted here against its 20 nearest-ranked peers by how OFTEN they shake (M4+ count) against how HARD the strongest one ever hit (max recorded magnitude).
Read the chart (all 21 values)
| Country | M4+ events | Strongest magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| Armenia | 27 | M5.3 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 23 | M4.8 |
| Mauritania | 21 | M4.6 |
| Namibia | 20 | M5.4 |
| Norway | 20 | M5.2 |
| Grenada | 19 | M5.5 |
| Saint Eustatius and Saba | 19 | M5.0 |
| Burundi | 18 | M5.2 |
| Serbia | 18 | M5.5 |
| Ukraine | 17 | M4.9 |
| South Korea (this page) | 15 | M5.5 |
| French Southern Territories | 14 | M5.3 |
| Kenya | 14 | M5.2 |
| Saint Lucia | 14 | M5.2 |
| Botswana | 13 | M6.5 |
| Angola | 12 | M5.1 |
| Comoros | 12 | M5.1 |
| Guyana | 12 | M5.5 |
| Kuwait | 12 | M4.7 |
| Lebanon | 12 | M5.1 |
| North Korea | 12 | M5.9 |
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.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in South Korea? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in South Korea? ▼
How seismically active is South Korea? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in South Korea? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
About South Korea's figures
15 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M6.2 · average M4.8 · 1 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jun 11, 2024. Computed from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat). See the methodology and USGS ComCat.
Disclaimer: PlainQuake is informational only, not an emergency service or engineering advice. See our full disclaimer.
What South Korea's numbers mean
South Korea ranks 127th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
- About 1 M4+ earthquakes strike South Korea per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1975 was the busiest year on record with 1 significant events. See the full country ranking
- 0% of South Korea's catalogued major earthquakes are shallow (under 70km) - shallow events generally produce stronger surface shaking than deep ones of the same magnitude. How depth affects shaking
- The strongest catalogued event reached M6.2. Compare against neighboring or similarly-ranked countries before drawing conclusions from magnitude alone. Compare strongest earthquakes
Figures reflect the USGS ComCat catalog (M4+ since 2005, M6+ significant events since 1900) - not a real-time hazard assessment. For official guidance, see the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.
According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 315,341 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,428 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 2026-07-19.