Number of significant earthquakes in South Korea
South Korea: Number of significant earthquakes was 1 events in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
1 events
World rank
21st
of 97 countries
All-time high
1 events
in 1455
All-time low
1 events
in 1455
Years of data
14
1455–2024
Number of significant earthquakes in South Korea, 1455–2024
Source: National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in events.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 1 events for number of significant earthquakes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of significant earthquakes in South Korea peaked at 1 events in 1455 and was at its lowest, 1 events, in 1455.
That places South Korea 21st out of 97 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
Number of significant earthquakes in South Korea, year by year
| Year | events | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1455 | 1 events | — |
| 1553 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1613 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1643 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1649 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1664 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1670 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1681 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1700 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 1 events | +0.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 1 events is above the median for high income countries, which is 1 events, 1.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 1 events is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1 events, 1.0× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1450s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1550s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1610s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1640s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 2 |
| 1660s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1670s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1680s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1700s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1930s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1970s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 2010s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 2 |
| 2020s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 21 Albania 1 events compare
- 21 Algeria 1 events compare
- 21 Antarctica 1 events compare
- 21 Argentina 1 events compare
- 21 Armenia 1 events compare
- 21 Australia 1 events compare
- 21 Austria 1 events compare
- 21 Azerbaijan 1 events compare
- 21 Bangladesh 1 events compare
- 21 Bolivia 1 events compare
- 21 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 events compare
- 21 Brazil 1 events compare
- 21 Bulgaria 1 events compare
- 21 Canada 1 events compare
- 21 Chile 1 events compare
- 21 China 1 events compare
- 21 Colombia 1 events compare
- 21 Congo 1 events compare
- 21 Costa Rica 1 events compare
- 21 Cuba 1 events compare
- 21 Ecuador 1 events compare
- 21 Egypt 1 events compare
- 21 El Salvador 1 events compare
- 21 Eritrea 1 events compare
- 21 Ethiopia 1 events compare
- 21 France 1 events compare
- 21 Georgia 1 events compare
- 21 Germany 1 events compare
- 21 Ghana 1 events compare
- 21 Guadeloupe 1 events compare
- 21 Guatemala 1 events compare
- 21 Haiti 1 events compare
- 21 Honduras 1 events compare
- 21 Iceland 1 events compare
- 21 Iraq 1 events compare
- 21 Israel 1 events compare
- 21 Jamaica 1 events compare
- 21 Kazakhstan 1 events compare
- 21 Kyrgyzstan 1 events compare
- 21 Lebanon 1 events compare
- 21 Martinique 1 events compare
- 21 Mongolia 1 events compare
- 21 Montenegro 1 events compare
- 21 Morocco 1 events compare
- 21 Myanmar 1 events compare
- 21 Nepal 1 events compare
- 21 North Korea 1 events compare
- 21 North Macedonia 1 events compare
- 21 Pakistan 1 events compare
- 21 Panama 1 events compare
- 21 Papua New Guinea 1 events compare
- 21 Poland 1 events compare
- 21 Portugal 1 events compare
- 21 Romania 1 events compare
- 21 Russia 1 events compare
- 21 Rwanda 1 events compare
- 21 Samoa 1 events compare
- 21 Serbia 1 events compare
- 21 Slovenia 1 events compare
- 21 Solomon Islands 1 events compare
- 21 South Africa 1 events compare
- 21 Spain 1 events compare
- 21 Switzerland 1 events compare
- 21 Syria 1 events compare
- 21 Taiwan 1 events compare
- 21 Tajikistan 1 events compare
- 21 Tanzania 1 events compare
- 21 Tonga 1 events compare
- 21 Tunisia 1 events compare
- 21 Turkmenistan 1 events compare
- 21 United Kingdom 1 events compare
- 21 United States 1 events compare
- 21 Uzbekistan 1 events compare
- 21 Vanuatu 1 events compare
- 21 Vietnam 1 events compare
- 21 Yemen 1 events compare
More reference data data for South Korea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9638 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9281 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2074 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of significant earthquakes in South Korea?
- Number of significant earthquakes in South Korea was 1 events in 2024, according to National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of significant earthquakes recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1 events in 1455.
- What is the lowest number of significant earthquakes recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 events in 1455.
- How does South Korea rank for number of significant earthquakes?
- South Korea ranks 21st out of 97 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of significant earthquakes rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of significant earthquakes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
A significant earthquake meets at least one of the following: caused deaths, moderate damage ($1 million or more), a magnitude 7.5 or greater, Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) X or greater, or generated a tsunami. Due to data availability, recent data will be more complete than older historical estimates.