Seoul's urban resilience is increasingly under scrutiny due to the heightened risk of earthquakes, exacerbated by the aging of building. Despite the critical importance of seismic performance evaluations for private buildings, the adoption rate remains low, constrained by financial barriers, limited public awareness, and a lack of accessible methodologies. This report aims to tackle these issues by analyzing the current status of seismic performance evaluations in Seoul and drawing insights from advanced practices in earthquake-prone countries such as Japan and Taiwan.
The analysis identifies critical gaps in Seoul's seismic performance evaluation framework, including high costs, limited approved methodologies, and inadequate technological support. Japan's “Act on Promotion of Seismic Retrofitting” offers practical insights, including local government-driven retrofitting plans and the provision of 25 evaluation methods, such as simplified and cost-free or -low preliminary evaluations. Similarly, Taiwan’s implementation of seismic risk mapping and streamlined evaluation tools serves as a valuable reference for improving accessibility and operational efficiency.
In Seoul, the financial burden of seismic performance evaluations under the “Earthquake Safety Certification” program ranges from 3.96 to 88 million KRW, with an average cost of 20.9 million KRW. Smaller buildings face disproportionately higher unit costs, highlighting the need for equitable cost management. Furthermore, GIS-based data indicates that the number of buildings requiring mandatory evaluations will rise sharply in the coming years, necessitating an estimated budget of 1.129 trillion KRW over five years.
To address these challenges, this report proposes a comprehensive activation plan encompassing policy, financial, and technological measures. Policy recommendations include mandating preliminary evaluations, diversifying seismic performance evaluation methodologies, and providing financial incentives such as subsidies, tax reductions, and tenant loan interest discounts. Technological solutions include developing a high-resolution seismic hazard database, automating self-assessment systems, and disseminating simplified evaluation techniques tailored to Seoul's needs.