No South Korean casualties reported after magnitude-7.1 quake hits Japan's Kumamoto

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday it held a joint situation-review meeting between the Consulate General in Fukuoka and ministry headquarters, chaired by Cho Ju-seong, director of overseas safety planning.

The meeting assessed the earthquake situation in Kumamoto, Japan, and reviewed safety measures for South Korean nationals in the area.

The Consulate General in Fukuoka said no South Korean casualties had been reported as of 4 p.m. Wednesday. The consulate said it would "continue to stay in close contact with relevant Japanese authorities and the Korean community, monitor the situation carefully, and take necessary steps including regularly issuing safety notices."

Cho said that given the more than 160 aftershocks that have followed Tuesday's magnitude-7.1 earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, "we must do everything possible to ensure the safety of our nationals on the ground."

The quake that struck near Uki city in Kumamoto Prefecture in western Kyushu on Tuesday registered a seismic intensity of 7 on the Japan Meteorological Administration's scale — the eighth time in recorded history that Japan has experienced a quake of that intensity, three of which have occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture alone.