Seoul, Jun 12 (IANS): A 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the southwestern county of Buan in South Korea on Wednesday, the weather agency said.

The quake struck 4 kilometers south-southwest of the North Jeolla county, 204 km south of Seoul, at 8:26 a.m. at an estimated depth of 8 km, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The epicenter was at 35.7 degrees north latitude and 126.71 degrees east longitude, the KMA said, noting it is the strongest to have occurred on the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding waters this year, Yonhap news agency reported.

Fifteen aftershocks were reported as of 2 p.m., with the strongest of the latest tremors measured at a magnitude of 3.1, occurring at 1:55 p.m.

A KMA official said the tremors are expected to continue for at least a week, citing past records of magnitude 4 to 5 earthquakes on the peninsula, with aftershocks persisting for a few months.

The North Jeolla provincial government said it had not received any reports of facility damage or casualties related to the quake.

The earthquake was felt across many parts of the country, including the greater Seoul area, the Chungcheong provinces and the southeastern regions.

A total of 213 cases had been reported nationwide related to feeling the tremors from the quake as of 8:50 a.m., including 77 reports in North Jeolla Province, according to firefighter and interior ministry officials.