Last Sunday was a day during which one learned how Korea is not safe from earthquakes. High-rise buildings shook and elevators stopped in Busan, and in Seoul the shaking could be felt as well. An earthquake occurred in waters 45 kilometers northwest of Fukuoka when the Philippine and Eurasian tectonic plates collided, and the seismologists say Korea felt it as the shock ran through the fault line. Northern Kyushu had been relatively stable until now, so there is growing concern for the southeastern Korea coast, since northern Kyushu just saw a magnitude 7 earthquake after having been relatively stable.
What this reconfirms is that earthquakes and tsunamis matter for Korea and that Korea is utterly unprepared for them. The KMA issued a tsunami warning only 27 minutes after the earthquake off of Fukuoka. It was 37 minutes after the quake that local governments ordered locals to evacuate, so disaster would have swept through costal communities had the tsunami been a major one. Broadcasting companies issued written warnings across their screens, but the special reports telling people to get ready for the tsunami came only after the tsunami had come and gone. Also, tourists and locals in the affected areas acted disinterested in the evacuation order.
Fortunately there was no major damage, but Korea needs to consider the experience a warning that it is not safe from earthquakes and that it needs to be adequately prepared, all the more so because unlike typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis come suddenly. First and foremost is swift and accurate information analysis, and second comes implementation of safety measures without delay. Korea needs to work with nations similarly concerned like Japan for closer cooperation on the relevant data, and citizens need to be educated too. Buildings need to be made more structurally sound. Korea has almost 20 nuclear reactors along the coast in places like Uljin, Yeonggwang, Gori, and elsewhere, so the preparations must be that much more thorough.
The Hankyoreh, 22 March 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] A Warning About Tsunami Readiness |
