• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2013

This paper looks at the Fukushima disaster from the perspective of resilience engineering, which replaces a search for causes with an understanding of how the system failed in its performance. Referring to the four resilience abilities of responding, monitoring, learning, and anticipating, the paper focuses on how inadequate engineering anticipation or risk assessment during the design, in combination with inadequate response capabilities, precipitated the disaster. One lesson is that systems such as nuclear power plants are complicated, not only in how they function during everyday or exceptional conditions, but also during their whole life cycle. System functions are intrinsically coupled synchronically and diachronically in ways that may affect the ability to respond to extreme conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.139-147
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• 2016

Nuclear energy is considerably cheap and clean compared to other fossil fuels. Yet, there are rising safety concerns of nuclear power plants including the possibility of radiation releasing nuclear accidents. In light of the Fukushima nuclear crisis in 2011, Japan has been re-evaluating their existing energy policies and increasing the share of alternative energy. This paper first tracks the major historical changes of energy policy in Japan by time period. Next, energy security, reignited concerns and alternative energy are covered to examine Japan's energy security situation and its transition after the Fukushima disaster. Lastly, a short survey based on thematic analysis was conducted in South Korea and Japan to understand the public awareness of nuclear. This paper postulates that the case of Fukushima will contribute to establish and operate a safe-future nuclear program in South Korea, given that the country is not only geographically neighbouring Japan but also the world's fourth largest producer of nuclear energy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6893-6897
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• 2013

Background: During and after the Fukushima nuclear disaster (FND), many parents were concerned about the effects of radiation on the health of their children. Purpose: To clarify the factors that influenced general workers living with children and the effect of child age groups in implementing preventive behaviorsagainst radiation following the FND. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study of preventive behaviors among general workers was carried out 3-5 months after the nuclear disaster. The subjects were 1,394 regular workers, who took part in radiation seminars run by the Fukushima Occupational Health Promotion Center between July and September, 2011. In total, 1,217 responses were submitted, of which 1,110 were eligible for the present study. This anonymous questionnaire survey inquired about the presence and age of children in the household and about radiation preventive behavior implemented after the FND. The contribution of each variable was assessed by logistic regression analysis. Results: General workers in Fukushima who lived with younger children performed more preventive behavior against radiation during and after the FND. In particular, both location-related and daily routines were practiced significantly more frequently (p<0.01) by workers living with a child in the age ranges of 0-6 (8 of 10 items) and 7-12 (5 of 10 items). Conclusions: This is the first study to assess the positive association between living with children by age group and increased preventive behavior against radiation implemented by general workers after the FND.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2017

The Fukushima nuclear accident caused by an earthquake and a subsequent tsunami on March 11, 2011 has seriously impacted the environment surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. While all the residents near the plant were evacuated from the area deemed uninhabitable after the accident, residents of the neighboring area outside of the evacuation zone still seem to live in fear of invisible radiation. To understand Fukushima residents' thinking about the environmental risks that accompany a nuclear disaster, we utilize a poll of the residents of Fukushima conducted in 2013. Based on the survey data, we reveal factors that seem to strongly affect their knowledge and concerns about nuclear power plants. The results of the multivariate analysis show the importance of the following two factors: (1) confidence in mass media, and (2) trust in institutions in charge of administering the accident, especially the central government, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, and Tokyo Electric Power Company. We conclude that the more people trust mass media and particular institutions, the more likely it is that they are have an elevated sense of anxiety and fear of the presence of nuclear plants.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.172-195
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• 2015

Multiple nationwide opinion surveys, carried out by the government (cabinet office), major media (national newspapers and NHK), the National Institute for Environmental Studies, and the Atomic Energy Society of Japan, have revealed that the Fukushima nuclear accident has heightened people's perception of disaster risks, fear of nuclear accidents, and increased recognition of pollution issues, and has changed public opinion on nuclear energy policy. The opinion gap on nuclear energy policy between specialists and lay people has widened since the disaster. The results of the Japanese General Social Survey data show that objections to the promotion of nuclear energy are strong among females, and weaker among young males and the supporters of the LDP. These findings are similar to the data collected after the Chernobyl accident. People who live in a 70km radius of nuclear plants tend to evaluate nuclear disaster risks higher. Distance from nuclear plants and the perception of earthquake risk interactively correlate with opinions on nuclear issues. Among people whose evaluation of earthquake risk is low, those who live nearer to the plants are more likely to object to the abolishment of nuclear plants. It was also found that the nuclear disaster has changed people's behavior; they now try to save electricity. The level of commitment to energy saving is found to relate to opinions on nuclear issues.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.226-233
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• 2011

Exactly 25 years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, 11th of March 2011 the Fukushima nuclear accident occurred in Japan and was ranked at level 7 same to the Chernobyl. A Korean and Japanese joint civil survey was conducted around Fukushima on April 13-17. The radiation survey data clearly shows a large hotspot area between 20 km and 50 km radius north and west direction from the accident reactors, with the highest radiation recorded being 55.64 ${\mu}Sv/hr$ in the air, 99.89 ${\mu}Sv/hr$ in the surface air, and 36.16 ${\mu}Sv/hr$ in a car, respectively. 3.65 ${\mu}Sv/hr$ in the air and 6.89 ${\mu}Sv/hr$ in the surface air were detected at the playground of an elementary school in Fukushima City. Spring came with full cherry blossoms in Fukushima, but it was silent spring of radiation contamination. Interviews with Fukushima nuclear refugees reveal serious problems about Japanese nuclear safety systems, such as there was no practical evacuation drill within 1-10 km and no plan at all for 10-30 km areas. Several reforms items for Korean nuclear safety system can be suggested: minimization of accident damage, clear separation of regulatory and safety bureaus with a new and independent administrating agency, community participation and agreement regarding the safety system and levels, which is the major concern of 80% Korean. To tackle threats of nuclear disaster in neighboring nations like China, a new position entitled 'Ambassador for nuclear safety diplomacy' is highly necessary. The nuclear safety of Korea should no longer be the monopoly of those nuclear engineers and limited technocrats criticized as a 'nuclear mafia'.

• Journal of Engineering Education Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2012

This paper analyzes characteristics and discourses related with the risk communication of Fukushima nuclear disaster. I try to pick up and analyze the three strategies of Korean government's and expert system's risk communication, and then understand the relationship between them and the role of expert system in the risk communication and the politics of expertise.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to analyze the structural relationship between radiation hazards and radiation benefits effecting on overcoming recognition of Fukushima nuclear disaster (FND) in Japan by using structural equation modeling (SEM). The subjects were 248 undergraduates from one university in Chungbuk province in Korea. From June 1, 2017 to July 30, 2017, we conducted a questionnaire survey on the radiation hazards and radiation benefits and on the overcoming recognition of FND. As a result, it showed that the recognition of radiation hazards has a significant effect on the benefits of radiation, but does not directly affect the overcoming recognition of FND. However, the recognition of radiation benefits has been mediating between radiation hazards perception and the overcoming recognition of FND. Therefore, it can be empirically confirmed that despite the radiation hazards the recognition of overcoming the FND depends on the level of radiation benefits by using the SEM.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.500-511
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• 2021

Purpose: This study seeks to draw out implications that must be considered in the process of establishing measures to evacuate residents in preparation for domestic nuclear disasters by conducting an investigation about the disaster situation at the time of the Fukushima nuclear power plant explosion, emergency warning situation for residents protection, evacuation situation and In addition to investigating problems and measures raised in the resident protection system at that time. Method: A literature survey was conducted focusing on reports published by Japan's national, parliament, local governments and related agencies from right after the Great East Japan Earthquake to the present. Result: Found out what needs to be considered in the process of establishing domestic radiation disaster measures through the results of the survey on the problems and countermeasures derived from the process of evacuation of residents at the time of the Fukushima nuclear power plant explosion. Conclusion: The reviews were classified into four categories and detailed reviews were presented.

• Journal of Internet of Things and Convergence
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.73-81
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• 2020

The internet of things (IoT) using cloud computing is applied to nuclear industry in which the nuclear power plant (NPP) accident is analyzed for the safety assessment. The Fukushima NPP accident is modeled for the accident simulations where the earthquake induced plant failure accident is used for analyzing the cloud computing technology. The fast and reasonable treatment in the natural disaster was needed in the case of the Fukushima. The real time safety assessment (RTSA) and the Monte-Carlo real time assessment (MCRTA) are constructed. This cloud computing could give the practicable method to prepare for the future similar accident.