Time to Act Together
Which disaster do you think is the worst one of the 21st century? The 9.11 terrorist attack in New York or the 3.11 disaster in Fukushima? I would say the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster which is called the 3.11 catastrophe is worse. Both of them took away a lot of innocent lives. However, compared to the Twin Towers which can be restored, Fukushima contaminated by radioactivity, can never go back to a time before the disaster.
A nuclear power plant explosion is a world-wide disaster. Since the Fukushima accident, I have called for a nuclear-free solidarity between South Korea and Japan. To accomplish this I suggested making a network for a nuclear-free East Asia with 311 people from Korea, Japan and China at the 2011 World Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs last August.Finally, Korea and Japan have bound together under the name of The Network for A Nuclear Free East Asia
Japan's Civil Movement Moves Out of its Long Slump
Civil movements in Japan have been depressed for many years. When I was in Shiba Park in Tokyo to commemorate the closing of 54-nuclear plants in Japan last May I said, "Japan's civil movement will get out of its long slump. 170,000 people gathered in Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, the largest number of people ever to participate in a rally in this country, shouting,"Sa-yo-na-ra[Goodbye], nuclear power plants!" People from all walks of life such as students, housekeepers, journalists and film directors were speaking with one voice saying, "No nuclear power plants for our survival." Rallies were held every day. Recently, there was a rally that surrounded the National Diet Building. Civil movements toward denuclearization in South Korea used to be more dynamic than Japan’s, but Japan has started to take the leading role.
South Korea’s Worn-out Nuclear Power Plant Reactive…. We Are in the Same Boat
What about Korea? The government has announced that it will reactivate the Gori 1 Reactor in spite of the fact that the reactor has reached its lifespan of 30 years, 4 years ago. The government, who should consider the nation's safety its top priority, has stuck to its nuclear power plant policy. We, the people of the world, are all in the same boat when it comes to nuclear power plant disasters. It is time for not only Korea and Japan but also the governments, local governments, academic circles, NGOs, media and the young generations in East Asia including China to gather together towards denuclearization and take specific actions to get out of their dependence on nuclear power.
Yul Choi
President of the Korea Green Foundation
