On Oct. 28, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake occurred in the interior of Myanmar, and strong tremors were felt in Bangkok, Thailand. Citizens and tourists in the Silom area of Bangkok, startled by the earthquake, are waiting in the street outside buildings. /Courtesy of Yonhap News Agency

On the 28th, a strong earthquake occurred near Mandalay in central Myanmar, causing significant repercussions even in Bangkok, Thailand. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is assessing the damage to citizens. So far, no damage has been reported.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "As of now, no human casualties among our citizens have been reported," and noted, "The embassy will continue to monitor the situation through the relevant authorities in Myanmar and Thailand, as well as the Korean community."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a virtual joint situation assessment meeting led by Director General Yoon Joo-seok in the afternoon to ascertain the damage to Koreans and take measures for the protection of citizens abroad.

The meeting included participation from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Myanmar and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Thailand.

Director General Yoon urged that the headquarters and embassies closely cooperate to swiftly ascertain the damage status of our citizens while taking necessary measures to ensure the safety of Koreans residing in Myanmar and Thailand, considering potential aftershocks.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "We will continue to closely monitor the situation regarding earthquake damage to ensure the safety of our citizens and will implement various safety measures."

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Myanmar issued a safety notice on the same day, stating, "Citizens residing in or traveling to Myanmar should avoid visiting and staying in earthquake-affected areas as much as possible, and given the concerns about potential aftershocks, please take special care for your personal safety."

It added, "The embassy is urgently assessing the damage status of our citizens related to this earthquake, so please contact the embassy if you are a citizen who has suffered damage."

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Thailand also noted that the earthquake in Myanmar affected the Thai region, with considerable shake detected, and urged citizens to be particularly cautious about safety due to the possibility of aftershocks.