A number of researchers have studied the negative effects of earthquakes. This paper aimed to study how to heighten earthquake awareness in Korea by evaluating the 2016 Gyeongju earthquakes and then draw lessons for Korea and other nations. In doing so, the 2016 Gyeongju earthquakes was a focusing event. Qualitative content analysis was used as the major methodology. The level of earthquake awareness before and after the Gyeongju earthquakes was compared by assessing related government policies, industrial commercialization, research interests, media coverage, and residential preparedness. In particular, earthquake unawareness potentially existed before the Gyeongju earthquakes, whereas earthquake awareness clearly heightened after the event or the disaster. As the main theme, earthquakes may play a positive role in improving earthquake awareness like the Korean case. Other nations must comprehensively address the four phases of earthquake management lifetime (prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery), the multi-hazard approach (by including not only earthquakes but also other hazards into emergency operation plans), localized education, and sustainable training and exercise, in particular by referring to the unprecedented impact of the Gyeongju earthquakes.