July 31, 1668 Earthquake: Yellow Sea, North Korea

Name: July 31, 1668 Earthquake: Yellow Sea, North Korea
Start: 1668-07-31
Location: Yellow Sea, North Korea

July 31, 1668 · M6.4 · Deaths: few

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Yellow Sea, North Korea on July 31, 1668. It caused a tsunami.

Map

Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.

The earthquake

Date: July 31, 1668
Place: Yellow Sea, North Korea
Magnitude: 6.4 (Ms)
Intensity: 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami: Yes: the tsunami it caused
Epicenter: 38.000° N, 126.000° E
Country: North Korea

The toll

Deaths: Few (about 1 to 50) with its tsunami and other effects
Damage: Limited (under about $1 million) with its tsunami and other effects
Houses destroyed: Few (about 1 to 50) with its tsunami and other effects

Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

Reference #414:

1668, July 31. There was an earthquake (38 N, 126 E) in North Korea. It was felt all over the western part of the country. A tsunami was observed on the western coast of P'yongyan, including Ch'olsan. The tsunami flooded the land, people died and homes were destroyed. No other details are available.

Reference #1045:

1668, July 31. Intensity 4 (JMA), magnitude 6.46.

Reference #1213:

1668, July 31. Intensity VI (Modified Mercalli), magnitude 6.4. Pyongyang, Cholsan (Western part of Pyongan Nam and Pukto). Earthquake affected a large area of

the NW in the peninsula, the tiles of the roofs shaken, people lay flat on the ground.

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1668 The 1600s Recent earthquakes near here This day in weather history

Sources

Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 5977.