The Korean Peninsula and surrounding waters saw a total of 18 earthquakes of magnitude two-point-zero or higher in the first half of the year, less than the average of 26-point-one quakes posted in the first halves of 1999 through 2014.
 
The Korea Meteorological Administration said Wednesday that the peninsula also witnessed two quakes of magnitude three-point-zero or higher during the same period, or less than the average of five-point-nine times posted in previous years.
 
The weather agency said seismic activity picked up on the peninsula between 2011 and 2013 due to the Great East Japan Earthquake.
 
The agency said that since last year, the number of quakes has recovered to figures posted in previous years after the energy that had accumulated in the peninsula’s lithosphere stabilized.
 
The agency said that in the first half, a total of 743 earthquakes of magnitude five-point-zero or higher occurred around the globe. That’s less than the average of 810 posted since 1978.