"In the 30 years I have lived in Colombia, this is the first time I have experienced an earthquake with such prolonged tremors."

Kim Jong-sung, president of the Korean Association in Colombia, said in a phone call on the 10th (local time), "Even in the capital of Bogota, which is far from the epicenter, the tremors lasted for a long time, about two to three minutes," conveying that Korean residents living in Bogota felt considerable fear from the earthquake.

There are reportedly about 800 Korean residents in Colombia.

Most of them reside in and around the capital, Bogota.

President Kim noted, "Most Korean residents live in Bogota, so there is no damage as it is far from the epicenter," but added, "Some residents living in apartments said the shaking was so severe that they felt like they 'barely escaped death,'" describing the atmosphere at the time.

Although shaking was felt in the capital of Bogota, the epicenter was located about 230 km west of Bogota, meaning direct structural damage was reportedly limited.

While noting that three or four Korean households each reside in western areas like Pereira and Cali, where substantial earthquake damage has been reported, President Kim stated, "I heard from all the Korean residents in those areas that I spoke with that there was no damage."

He also explained that one of the reasons for minimal damage among Koreans is that most Korean residents live in areas with favorable residential conditions.

President Kim added that the earthquake occurred after the local morning commute hours, saying, "The fact that most locals had already finished commuting to work may have been a factor in keeping casualties lower than feared."

"There are no Korean casualties reported so far, but the scale of damage among locals in Colombia is significant," he said. "The Korean Association plans to raise and send relief donations."

According to preliminary analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck near San Jose del Palmar in the Pacific coastal department of Choco at 7:34 a.m. local time on that day (8:34 p.m. Korea time).

According to local authorities, the earthquake has resulted in 132 deaths and 570 injuries so far, with many residents trapped in collapsed buildings, meaning the number of casualties could rise further.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)