Powerful earthquake rattles Japan on New Year’s Day

People take pictures of waves at Mukho Port in Donghae City, Gangwon Province, on Jan. 2, where an 85-centimeter-high tsunami was triggered by the earthquake in Japan the previous day. 2024.01.02 Han Soo-bin Reporter

Regarding the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan on New Year's Day, people in Korea are saying, "I hope there will be no more damage," on social networking services. Meanwhile, criticism has been raised over the issue of the Japan Meteorological Administration's indication of Dokdo and the concentration of nuclear power plants there.

Videos of earthquake damage, including surging sidewalk blocks, spread on social media on January 2. Internet users shared their memories of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that occurred two days after the 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit the island in March 2011, expressing concern over possible aftershocks and tsunami. "If you look at the interview during the earthquake back in 2011, the tsunami is like a huge water wall, so those who received disaster texts must evacuate far from the sea," a user of X (formerly Twitter) said.

The Korea Meteorological Administration said that an earthquake tsunami of up to 85 centimeters was observed at Mukho Port in Donghae, Gangwon Province the previous day. "Fortunately, there was no damage that could be felt because Japan and the East Coast were far away," said Yoon Kook-jin, chairman of the Gangwon Coastal Fishing Association.

Travelers to Japan and those preparing to travel to Japan were on high alert for aftershocks. A person who was traveling to Osaka, Japan said, "I suddenly felt dizzy and didn't know why, but I learned from an acquaintance in Korea that an earthquake had come. I felt it for the first time, and I was scared." Another person who was going to visit the Komatsu area in southern Ishikawa Prefecture said, "I'm trying to cancel the Takayama Hokurimu Pass and plane tickets, but I'm worried about the penalty."

Ishikawa Prefecture, the area where the earthquake occurred, is known to be a concentrated area of old nuclear power plants in Japan. On social media, a map of Japan depicting the location of nuclear power plants, such as the two Shika nuclear power plants, was uploaded. Kwon Woo-hyun, head of the energy and climate team at the Korea Federation of Environmental Movement, said, "Nuclear power plants are established in places other than earthquake safety zones in both countries," adding, "It is fortunate that there is no problem with nuclear power plants now, but we need to reconsider whether stability will be guaranteed even in the face of accumulated facility stress."

The Japanese Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings for its own coast and has drawn harsh criticism for including Dokdo in the warning area as if it were its own territory.

Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, wrote on Facebook, "Many Japanese users visit the Japan Meteorological Agency's website during typhoon and tsunami warnings, so it may instill a false perception of Dokdo,” adding, "The Korean government should also respond strongly to the Japan Meteorological Agency.”

Kim Hae-soo, who has been catching squid in Ulleungdo Island for 42 years, said, "Even today, our boats are going out to the east of Dokdo to fish for squid. Dokdo is a real workplace for us and there is no better proof of Korea's effective control over Dokdo than this."

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.