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Emergency broadcast sent to phones in Korean Winter Olympic village after earthquake strikes

An emergency warning has been issued to phones in the Korean Winter Olympic city and surrounds after a 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck south of Pyeongchang, sending panic through the town.

The emergency broadcast message was sent to phones shortly after 5am local time following the tremor more than 200 kilometres south of the Olympic city.

There were no reports of damage but the early-morning alert had people on edge given recent tensions in the region.

The alert, issued in Korean, reportedly stoked panic as many foreign visitors to the city could not read the warning.

North Korean fans at the Winter Olympic Games. Source: Getty
North Korean fans at the Winter Olympic Games. Source: Getty

It came after North and South Korea competed together for the first time at an Olympics on Saturday as the first five of 102 gold medals were decided against a fast-moving backdrop of diplomatic manoeuvring.

As sign of further thawing of tensions on the Korean peninsula, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un invited South Korean President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang "at an early date", the presidential Blue House in Seoul said on Saturday, potentially setting up the first meeting of Korean leaders in more than 10 years.

US Vice President Mike Pence. Source: Getty
US Vice President Mike Pence. Source: Getty

Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong, who is visiting South Korea to attend the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, delivered her brother's personal invitation during a meeting with Moon at the Blue House, a presidential spokesman said.

However, US Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday said the United States, South Korea and Japan were in complete agreement on isolating North Korea over its nuclear weapons program, even as the two Koreas deepened their diplomatic detente at the Winter Olympics.

"There is no daylight between the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan on the need to continue to isolate North Korea economically and diplomatically until they abandon their nuclear and ballistic missile program," Pence told reporters during a flight to the United States following his visit to South Korea, where the Olympic games are being held.