Officials sign an MOU for the construction of a comprehensive earthquake safety center in September. [Pohang City]
Officials sign an MOU for the construction of a comprehensive earthquake safety center in September. [Pohang City]

Nine years after a magnitude-5.4 triggered earthquake struck Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province in 2017, the city is moving beyond disaster recovery to establish itself as South Korea's leading hub for earthquake safety.

Pohang city officials said Friday that, marking the ninth anniversary of the triggered quake, the city is reviewing its recovery and urban restoration progress while accelerating efforts to build a specialized center encompassing earthquake research and safety education.

In the Heunghae area, which bore the brunt of the damage, a special urban regeneration project is underway with a total budget of 282.6 billion won ($211 million).

The project aims to stabilize housing, improve living conditions and restore the local community through a series of initiatives — construction of a "happy city" community platform, a multipurpose community center, a Buk-gu public health clinic and trauma center, the supply of public rental housing, and the modernization of a traditional market.

Legal efforts to restore residents' rights are also continuing. In a damages lawsuit stemming from the Pohang earthquake, a court of first instance partially upheld residents' claims in 2023, but an appeals court ruled against the plaintiffs. The case is now before the Supreme Court.

Pohang has enacted an ordinance to support public-interest litigation costs and retained a lawyer who is a former Supreme Court justice to strengthen its position in the Supreme Court proceedings.

Construction of a comprehensive earthquake safety center — intended to translate the city's firsthand experience into national safety capabilities — has also begun in earnest. In September, Pohang signed an MOU with the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy, the Korea Meteorological Administration and North Gyeongsang Province to establish and operate the center.

The center will be built on the site of a former geothermal power project at a cost of 22 billion won in national funds, with completion targeted for the first half of 2028. It is set to operate as a specialized institution conducting research on earthquake monitoring and analysis technology, developing related services and providing public safety education.

Pohang plans to expand earthquake forums, academic events and policy discussions to strengthen cooperation among the government, universities and research institutions, and to incorporate research findings into disaster safety policy.

"Drawing lessons from the pain of the triggered earthquake, we will do our utmost to restore the rights of affected residents and protect the lives and safety of our citizens," Pohang Mayor Park Yong-seon said. "We will build Pohang into a representative safe city in South Korea where all residents can live with peace of mind and happiness."


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com