Seoul, April 08: South Korea closed hundreds of elementary schools, and people are genuinely concerned over the possible effects of radioactive rain, the Media correspondent in Seoul reported.
South Korea’s nuclear watchdog has said miniscule amounts of radioactive elements were found in rainwater. They contend that it is not harmful to public health, although the concentration of those materials had increased six-fold in the last few days in some areas.
“I don’t even want the rain to touch my face, so I’m holding the umbrella down tightly, and I’ve even got a mask ready. I’m only going to eat things free from pollution like kimchi. I certainly won’t touch any food from Japan,” one Korean woman told Media.
South Korea has 21 nuclear reactors, and Japan has more than 15 atomic energy plants. However, many people were found to be unaware of their region’s reliance on nuclear power.
“I didn’t know Japan had that many nuclear power plants and was also surprised that they were unable to take proper steps in response. It happened because it was run based on Capitalism, so no one has taken responsibility and the problems keep getting bigger,” another man said.
South Korean environmentalists are critical of what they see as a passive response from government officials.
“We’ve created a task force, and we are looking into how the Japanese government is able to monitor the various scenarios unfolding. In terms of whether we will do monitoring ourselves or take part in international efforts, once we get the findings from our own experts, we will consult with Japan on feasible ways forward,” Cho Byung-jae of South Korea’s foreign ministry department said.
——–Agencies