Korea marks December 27th as Nuclear Energy Day in the country.
It's a day to remind ourselves of the clean nature of nuclear power when used with caution.
But, with the safety issue of nuclear energy increasingly becoming a problem and a growing
concern worldwide... can Korea continue to rely on nuclear power for energy source?
Nuclear power, safe or destructive?
Our News Feature tonight with Kwon Soa.
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 -- a magnitude 5-point-8 quake in the southern city of Gyeongju,... followed
by more than 550 aftershocks.
South Korea has long been thought to be safe from destructive mega quakes,... but many
worry that's no longer true.
And perhaps more worrying -- can the country's nuclear facilities withstand powerful seismic
events?
"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.
Like in the movie Pandora, some Koreans have protested the government's moves to further
develop the country's nuclear energy business.
Some experts also say there's too much to risk... and are pursuing legal action against
the government.
"We filed a lawsuit against extending the lifespan of the Wolsong-1 reactor... because
some criteria in the screening process were ignored.
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.
She says renewables like solar are key, which she claims is getting cheaper,... and says
the sector can create more jobs than nuclear.
But others say the future of nuclear in Korea is actually bright.
"It's not appropriate to compare South Korea to countries like Germany and Italy which
are giving up nuclear energy.
They're exceptions in terms of energy policy.
And the UK has actually begun to build more nuclear plants.
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.
But safety DOES matter to the average person,... so it's crucial for them to have the right
information.
"People don't have much interest in nuclear issues.
The government should take measures to get people interested."
"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.
We often say '0-point-2' or '0-point-3 g's.'
The 'g' stands for gravity.
A nuclear plant is safe at 0-point-3 g.
For the average person it's hard to understand what '0-point-3 g's' means.
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, with the unpredictabilty of natural disasters and the general public more concerned about
safety,... it could be a good time to review the issue with more involvement from ordinary
people.
Kwon Soa, Arirang News.
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