Tuesday was Nuclear Energy Day in Korea...
a day to be reminded of the benefits and convenience
of nuclear power... when used with caution.
Recently though, safety concerns are overshadowing
the positive aspects the cost efficient energy
source.
Kwon Soa weighs the option: should Korea continue
to rely on nuclear plants.
The recent box-office hit "Pandora" has opened
the eyes of many… to the possible consequences
of a nuclear accident.
The timing of the movie's debut a few weeks
ago may have been a coincidence, but it came
just a few months after South Korea was hit
by the strongest earthquake ever recorded
in the country.
"Because the reactors are far away from Seoul,
I'm not seriously concerned,... but since
the earthquake in Gyeongju, I've become quite
anxious at the idea of building more."
"I think the situation is very serious, especially
because people live very close to the reactors.
I'm worried that if an earthquake struck the
residents would be badly affected."
South Korea is home to 25 nuclear reactors,
with five now under construction, and four
more to come.
In fact, Korea has the most of any country
in proportion to its land area.
"If an accident like the one in Fukushima
occured near Korea's Gori reactors, the damage
would be much greater because there are around
22 times more people living near them."
The expert claims nuclear power is a dying
business,... and that many developed countries
are getting out of it all together.
"It's not appropriate to compare South Korea
to countries like Germany and Italy.
They're exceptions in terms of energy policy.
South Korea's major export items used to be
semiconductors, ships and cars.
But the latter two have been on a downward
trend.
I believe nuclear will be a future growth
engine and will bring many jobs for young
people."
With experts divided, it's hard for the layman
to get a clear picture.
"After watching Pandora, I felt like such
an accident could actually happen in our country.
I've gotten a little bit interested in the
issue now, but I wish people could get more
details from the experts."
The Korea Nuclear Energy Agency, for one,
hopes to give the public the information they
need.
"There is, for instance, the term 'ground
acceleration,' which has been used a lot since
the recent quake.
A nuclear plant is safe at 0-point-3 g.
The 'g' stands for gravity.
For the average person it's hard to understand.
That's why we're trying to visualize this
information through infographics, internet
banners and videos."
South Korea lacks natural resources and it
has put a lot of effort into developing nuclear
power.
But, it could be a good time to review the
issue,... with the unpredictabilty of natural
disasters and the general public more concerned
about safety.
Kwon Soa, Arirang News.
