Japanese City Council members moved to build a nuclear waste disposal facility on Tsushima Island, located just about 50km from Busan. This has raised concerns from South Korean civil society, as the 50km is similar to the straight-line distance between Busan and Miryang. Some criticisms have been directed at the South Korean government and Busan City for their lack of response.

On September 12th, the Tsushima City Council approved constructing the nuclear waste disposal facility on Tsushima Island, with ten members in favor and seven against. In response to the opposition from the Japanese civil society and the residents of Tsushima Island, Tsushima City Mayor Hitakatsu Naoki, the final arbiter of Tsushima, exercised his veto on September 27th, and the construction of the nuclear waste facility was temporarily delayed. However, the Sankei Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, reported on September 30th, that there are still efforts to enact resident ordinance for the construction of the nuclear waste facility, primarily led by council members in favor of the project.

■Busan Citizens Facing the Ripple Effects and Anxiety of Installing a Hazardous Facility

The main reason that South Korean citizens oppose the construction of the nuclear waste disposal facility on Tsushima Island is concerns about its safety. The facility that the Japanese city council promoting the installation on Tsushima Island is primarily meant to handle high-level radioactive waste which has high radiation intensity, raising doubts about whether it can be managed safely. Park Sang-Hyun, an activist from the Busan Federation for Environmental Movement, stated, “Building the nuclear waste disposal facility is a complex issue that requires safe technology and location. Currently, high-level radioactive waste disposal facilities exist only in Finland and Sweden worldwide.”

Following the discharge of the Fukushima contaminated water, Busan citizen's attention was focused on the news of the construction of a nearby nuclear waste disposal facility. On October 12th, Seo Eun-Sook, the chairman of the Busan Party of Democratic Party, said, “We had received numerous calls from Busan citizens expressing concern about the news of the construction of the Tsushima Island nuclear waste facility. We should sympathize with and pay attention to the anxiety of Busan citizens living in areas where nuclear power plants are concentrated in the current situation where Fukushima’s contaminated water is being discharged.”

There is also concern about the potential ripple effects of the nuclear issue. Suppose a high-level nuclear waste disposal facility is established on Tsushima Island. In that case, it may create pressure for the construction of a similar facility in Busan. This includes discussions about the “Kori Special Law” to build a facility for storing nuclear fuel decommissioned in the Kori nuclear power plant. Activist Park stated, “The pressure of Busan citizens to construct a nuclear waste facility will immediately increase, and the burden of handling dangerous substances in the future will rise.”

■Busan City and the Korean Government Remain Silent Regarding Constructing the Tsushima Nuclear Waste Facility

Some criticize the silence of both Busan City and the South Korean government regarding the construction of the Tsushima nuclear waste facility. On September 11th, the Citizens' Movement Headquarters that opposed the life extension of Busan Kori 2 and the nuclear waste disposal facility where 166 civil organizations participated released a statement. It said that they oppose the construction of the Tsushima nuclear waste facility and demand that Busan City request the Japanese government and Tsushima City to halt building it for the safety and lives of Busan citizens. Park, an activist involved in the Citizens' Movement Headquarters, said, “Since the issue of a nuclear waste disposal facility is fundamentally different from other waste disposal sites, Busan city should have demanded its opposition on a municipal level. And it is regrettable that Busan has not voiced strong opposition to this issue.”

The argument that a clear stance should be expressed has also emerged from the political sector, from the opposition parties. On September 15th, the Democratic Party held an emergency press conference in front of the Oryukdo Islets Cruise Dock in Nam-gu, Busan. They criticized Busan City for not expressing its opposition to the construction. Chairman Seo stated, “Although Tsushima City Mayor opposed it on September 27th, there is always the inherent possibility of a re-initiation. I think that the Korean government and Busan City’s silence on building a nuclear waste facility at Tsushima, which is closest to South Korea and furthest from Japan, reflects indifference for the safety of Busan citizens. We need a clear stance from the political circle and Busan City.”

Reporter Choi Yun-Hui

translated by Ha Chae-Won