By Tong Kim
Japan’s earthquake and tsunami raises an unanswerable question of life and the world. For all human advances in science, none could predict when or where the tectonic earthquake would claim over 7,000 lives and destroy properties in the northeast region of Japan.
It is ironic that Japan, one of the most advanced in seismic science that created the term tsunami (meaning harbor wave), became the victim of a tsunami of a magnitude that occurs only once in a thousand years. All the precautionary earthquake-resistant measures for constructions were futile before the power of nature.
It is also ironic that Japan, the only country that suffered the terrible consequences of an atomic bombing, is experiencing the grave danger of radiation from the exploded nuclear reactors as a result of the tsunami. At the time of this writing, 300 Japanese nuclear engineers are risking their lives in their desperate attempt to stabilize the level of danger from the damaged nuclear reactors and to keep them from melting down. About 300,000 people have left their homes to flee from the levels of radiation hazardous to health.
We can explain the consequences of quake disasters. But, our knowledge of ``the Pacific Ring of Fire” or of the history of earthquakes is not enough to explain why such horrible disasters befall upon humans, who have always strived to conquer nature. Natural disasters are called ``acts of God” in the sense that they happen against human wish and beyond the human ability to prevent or mitigate them. Some ask why God lets them befall upon us.
Japan’s tragedy makes us realize how fragile and helpless we are before the anger of nature. We all pray for the victims of the Japanese tsunami and we hope that the grave reactor situations will be contained and controlled safely, and that there would be no further victims or damage. Those who were not directly affected by the earthquake this time in Japan or elsewhere in the world really have no explanation of why they were saved from the horror of an earthquake other than their physical absence from the hellish scene.
Even in the times of a human ordeal, which the Japanese prime minister called ``Japan’s worst crisis since WWII,” we see the natural pouring out of human care, compassion and assistance to the Japanese from fellow humans transcending the artificial boundaries, differences and historical experiences between the nations of the world. Over 70 countries, including South Korea and the United States, have offered disaster assistance to help with the Japanese situation.
South Korea was the first country to send a rescue team with two sniffer dogs to the scene and its humanitarian assistance would amount to some $28 million, the largest amount South Korea has ever provided to help a victimized country of a natural disaster. Churches, schools, and various news and civil organizations started a fund raising drive to help Japan. For example, the Catholic churches in Korea had a second collection Sunday to help the tsunami victims.
Some Koreans even say the Korean Peninsula is shielded by the Japanese islands, without which Korea might have become part of the Pacific earthquake zone. Historically, Japan may not have been a good neighbor but geologically Korea may have been Japan’s beneficiary.
Few Koreans talk about the disputes over the Dokdo or the textbook issue. Even surviving ``comfort women” who were forced to serve as sex slaves during the war stopped their daily demonstrations and instead gave moral support for the Japanese to come back from the disaster, although Seoul’s foreign minister said they are separate issues. Thousands of Korean netizens are writing to boost the morale of the Japanese.
President Lee visited the Japanese embassy in Seoul to console the Japanese people, as President Obama did the same in Washington. The United States approved some $50 million disaster funds for Japan, and I am sure many religious and civic organizations in the United States will raise funds to help Japan. Japan has been one of the most generous donor nations for assisting disaster victims internationally. I hear Koreans living in America are also raising funds.
The world was impressed by the calm and orderly behavior of Japanese citizens. Japanese ambassador to Korea, Masatoshi Muto, a veteran Korea hand, summarized his sentiment, ``The Japanese are crying louder in heart … I am grateful to every Korean who encourages us in this hard time. Japan and Korea will become closer to have a new 100 years of good relationship.”
Even North Korea usually has few good things to say about Japan but expressed through its Red Cross Society ``sympathy and consolation to the victims and their families,” hoping that normal life returns to Japan soon. The North also proposed a joint study conference of the dormant volcano Mt. Baekdu, which last erupted in 1903. There were some reports that the volcano was emitting sulfur dioxide that hint an eruption. Seoul said it would seriously consider the proposal.
In the midst of the tsunami crisis on top of the political tsunami of democratization that has been sweeping through Northern Africa to the Middle East, the North Korean nuclear issue has drawn little attention. Even the news of the North’s acquiescence to Seoul’s decision to keep four defectors or its renewed call for an unconditional resumption of six-party talks and its willingness to discuss uranium programs were engulfed by the powerful Japanese tsunami.
Nevertheless, one thing is clear. Once the aftershocks of the tsunami disaster in Japan and the impact of the political tsunami settle down, the North Korean issue will surface again. And the North seems to be trying hard to resume dialogue with the South. As things stand now, inter-Korean dialogue is the threshold to the North’s path to a sustainable economy. What’s your take?
Tong Kim is a research professor with the Ilmin Institute of International Relations at Korea University and an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He can be reached at tong.kim8@yahoo.com.