A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck hundreds of miles from the coast of North Korea on Wednesday afternoon, July 12, in the Sea of Japan, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake struck about 176 kilometers (109 miles) away from Hoemul-li, located along North Korea’s east coast, said the USGS.
It had a depth of 537 kilometers, or 333 miles, which is quite deep. Due to the location of the quake and depth, it’s unlikely any damage was caused.
Also because of its location, it’s likely that it was a normal earthquake and not one caused by the North Korean regime’s nuclear testing. In January 2016, a man-made earthquake hit near a known nuclear testing site in North Korea.
A Korea Meteorological Administration official said at the time, “We suspect a man-made earthquake and are analyzing the scale and epicenter of the quake with the geoscience and mineral resource institute of South Korea.”
