The incident had the largest death rate in SK since korean war ended so it is a big part of their history and often used as a plot point in many novels and dramas that depict that period of time.
I also got surprised they put this into the story as part of what MC will experience himself!
When I saw that cracked ceiling and the colour of the paint (creme and faded pink) I know right away that it would be the Department Store tragedy because I was so invested in the documentary.
There's also the Sewol Ferry tragedy in 2014.
Both tragedy happened because of powerful people being greedy.
I literally just watched a documentary about what happened in the sampoong mall It made me cry because of the stories of the people who survived (and didn't). It was heartbreaking especially since it could have been prevented several times.
Omg they put the history in the story it was so sad hearing about the mall that collapsed in Korea in 1995 if i remember correctly because of the greedy CEO made it so unsafe cutting cost to make keep more money had the restaurants on the top building all those heavy equipment and Huge AC on top building and made the building more unstable by making it a 5 story it was originally 4 story but he like I want it 5 instead when the building and was halfway done and just stacked it on top and they kept getting notices it bad building but he didn't care and even paid off the city inspectors and they didn't even find the all the body's that collapsed in it that passed away and moved it all to a pile in the country side and didn't put a memorial down they moved it all away in the country side like deep there no way near the city because it was Rich developing area like los Angeles rest in peace for the workers and people shopping there (っ˘╭╮˘)っ