A 2.1 magnitude earthquake struck the southeastern city of Pohang early Friday but is not expected to cause any damage, the state weather agency said.

The quake occurred at 1:31 a.m. in a region about 12 kilometers north of the Buk ward office in Pohang, some 375 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The epicenter was at a depth of 8 km.

The quake's tremor was recorded at Level 2 on the seismic intensity scale in North Gyeongsang Province, where the epicenter was located, and Level 1 in other regions.

Level 2 means only a small number of people in a quiet state or on higher level floors can feel the shaking, and Level 1 means most people would not have felt it.

In 2017, a 5.4 magnitude quake hit Pohang, leading to the postponement of that year's state-administered college entrance exam by one week. It was the first time the annual exam was delayed due to a natural disaster since starting in 1993.

This year's exam is slated for Nov. 18. (Yonhap)