The 5.8 magnitude Gyeongju earthquake that occurred on September 12, 2016, caused significant damage to residents in the villages near the epicenter, but over time they returned to their daily lives. However, the shock of the earthquake still remains, and the low seismic resistance of old private buildings is amplifying concerns about earthquake safety. Since the Gyeongju earthquake, the government has improved the emergency disaster alert message system and promoted seismic reinforcement of public facilities, but the seismic resistance of private buildings remains low, leaving safety issues unresolved. North Gyeongsang Province is supporting seismic reinforcement of private buildings through national subsidies, but its effect is limited due to high costs and legislation that does not apply retroactively.
