Crisis in Japan - Effects on Korea

The crisis in Japan has continued since the country was struck by a powerful earthquake last Friday afternoon, Japan time.

Over the course of the last few days, the scale of the destruction caused by the earthquake and ensuing tsunami has become more clear.  Images of the areas devastated by the tsunami have been published around the world, survivors of the disaster have shared their experiences, and more shocking video footage of the tsunami has surfaced.

Journalists at the Guardian, on the international news page of their web-site, have maintained an on-going blog following the situation in Japan since the earthquake struck.  Most of the entries on this blog are about the on-going fiasco at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant, which was severely damaged by the tsunami that followed the quake.  People are worried that a serious nuclear accident could occur at the Fukushima plant, and that such an accident could disperse dangerous radioactive pollutants into the atmosphere and into the ground.  People are working hard to keep the reactors cool and prevent this from happening, but it's a tough fight.  A good summary of the events that have occurred so far at the Fukushima power plant, as well as a description of precisely what is being done to cool the Fukushima reactors, is available here, and here en français.  A summary of the situation as per March 15, at approximately 10:20PM Japan time is available here.

Recent news articles are reporting that in Tokyo, though the city has not been damaged too seriously by the earthquake or the tsunami, everyday life and business activities have been seriously disrupted.  The threat of a nuclear disaster is a serious concern, and it has been reported that the Japanese government knew of design flaws in the particular type of reactor installed at Fukushima.  Hopefully, the nuclear reactors at Fukushima will soon be cooled and safely turned off, and the Japanese people will be able to begin the rebuilding of their country.


As I wrote previously, Friday afternoon's earthquake caused no damage in Korea, and no tsunami reached the country's shores.  On Monday, a few small earthquakes were registered off the west coast of Korea, but they probably had nothing to do with the big quake that so badly damaged Japan.  Such small earthquakes are not uncommon in and around Korea.

Though the earthquake that struck Japan did not damage Korea directly, it is predicted that it may have serious economic and diplomatic consequences for Korea.  Japan is both an economic partner and a diplomatic partner of Korea.  As it struggles to recover from the quake, it may not be possible for Japan to carry on with some aspects of its economic and diplomatic partnership with Korea.

Also, it has been reported that Koreans living in Japan are worried that a serious nuclear accident could occur at the Fukushima power plant.  People within Korea may be worried about this as well, as an article published today, discussing a short-lived increase in radioactivity on an island located between Korea and Japan, also argued that the prevailing winds will blow the resulting pollution of such an accident away from Korea.  Furthermore, the crisis at the Fukushima power plant has caused some to reexamine the use of nuclear energy in Korea.  In one article published on this topic, it was argued that the use of nuclear reactors to generate electricity in Korea may be unwise (though many nuclear reactors are currently in use in Korea), as there is historical evidence of strong earthquakes affecting the Korean peninsula, and the re-occurrence of such an earthquake could cause problems similar to those currently experienced at Fukushima.  Another article reported that the government of Korea concluded today an inspection of its nuclear power stations and other energy infrastructure, an inspection that was initiated after last Friday's earthquake in Japan.

Koreans have offered help to the Japanese in their time of need.  Korean search and rescue teams have been dispatched to Japan, and two of Korea's largest corporations, Samsung and LG, have offered financial aid.  The president has publicly stated that, as one of its closest neighbours, Korea should be one of the first nations to help Japan.  And both major Korean political parties have promised to do whatever they can to facilitate Japan's recovery.  Even Korean religious organizations are chipping in, though one Korean religious leader suggested that the quake was a "warning from God" to Japan (as did, sadly, the governor of Tokyo).  These gestures of support are particularly meaningful, in my opinion, as Koreans still resentfully remember the colonization of their country by the Japanese.


Hopefully, with the support of Korea and other nations, Japan can recover as soon as possible from the terrible natural disaster that it has experienced.