With the coetaneous formation of smaller-scale basins, such as the Pohang, and the opening of the East Sea (or Japan Sea) as a back-arc basin in the early to middle Tertiary (~30 to 15 million years ago), north-northeast-striking strike-slip faults and NNE- to NE-striking normal faults developed primarily in southeastern Korea and adjacent offshore areas.

Throughout the southern Korean Peninsula, the axes of compression identified by focal mechanism solutions show modest plunges to the ENE.

[8] The earthquake, along with several aftershocks, caused significant infrastructure damage in the southern port city of Pohang.

[15] It was also determined that the number of aftershocks happening along the fault surface where the main earthquake also decreased, with most of them being concentrated along the rupture tips whilst trending predominantly in a northeast–southwest direction.

Furthermore, damage was reported at 79 public offices and parks, 23 port facilities, 7 roads, 90 shops, 77 factories, and 11 bridges.

However, the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) analyzed that the unknown fault caused this earthquake.

In March 2024, an article published by one of Korea's largest business newspapers reported that 96% of the Pohang population had joined the lawsuit.

All of the Pohang residents in the suit are expected to receive 3 million won each, or about US$2100, by order of the Daegu district court.

By 2019, a large number of the residents displaced by the earthquake were still living in tents in gymnasiums, because some buildings were still considered unstable.

[24] Nearly 80% of Pohang residents, according to Mayor Lee Gang-deok, complain about mental health issues, and 42% are currently dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.