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President Lee Jae-myung delivers a commemorative address at the 76th anniversary ceremony of the Korean War, held at the Suwon Convention Center on the 25th. / Courtesy of Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung extended his deep condolences to the victims and bereaved families following a series of powerful earthquakes with a magnitude of 7 or higher that struck the state of Yaracuy in northwestern Venezuela.

"I cannot suppress my deep sorrow upon hearing the news that a series of powerful earthquakes with a magnitude of 7 or higher have consecutively struck the state of Yaracuy in northwestern Venezuela," President Lee shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account on the afternoon of the 25th.

He continued, "On behalf of the people and the government of the Republic of Korea, I extend my deepest condolences to the victims and bereaved families who have lost their precious loved ones and livelihoods to this sudden disaster."

"I pray for the swift handling of the aftermath, a speedy recovery for the injured, and the safe return of those missing," President Lee added. "I sincerely hope that the people will recover their peaceful daily lives as quickly as possible."

At around 6:04 p.m. local time on the 25th (7:04 a.m. Korean time), a magnitude 7.1 foreshock struck a location 21 kilometers west of Morón, Venezuela.

Just 39 seconds later, a magnitude 7.5 mainshock hit again at a spot roughly 45 kilometers away. The epicenter of the mainshock was determined to be at 10.453 degrees north latitude and 68.514 degrees west longitude, with a depth of 10.0 kilometers.

According to local authorities, at least 32 people have been confirmed dead and more than 700 others injured so far. Rescue teams are continuously searching for those trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings, and the possibility of further casualties remains a serious concern. The Venezuelan government has declared a state of national emergency to manage the disaster response.

                                                                                                       Park Young-hoon