Text Fwd: Ganbarei, Nippon! Japanese Nuclear Workers Risking Their Lives to Cool the Overheated Nuclear Complex

Scenes of Devastated Reactors. This photo was taken just before the Japanese authorities mobilized helicopters to cool down Fukushima's First Reactor by scattering water. The reactors are heating up because of lack of cool water supplied, thus spreading fears that the reactors might melt down.
Photo by AP, Kyodo, Yonhap News from Okuma
Caption by Seol Wontai

Kyunghyang Daily Newspaper
Ganbarei, Nippon! Japanese Nuclear Workers Risking Their Lives to Cool the Overheated Nuclear Complex
Posted 03 18 11

The situation at Fukushima No. 1 Power Plant is not getting any better. After the No. 1 reactor exploded, the No. 3 followed suit, then the No. 2, and finally even the No. 4.

The cores of reactors 1-3 have already melted down internally, while the water has overheated and evaporated from spent fuel pools at reactors 3 and 4, prompting concerns of full nuclear fission occurring. If cold water cannot be supplied to the reactors and storage pools, exposure to large amounts of radioactive material could cause large numbers of casualties.

The supply of cold water to the reactors, however, which must be done entirely manually due to a lack of electricity, keeps on failing. As time flows by and no solution appears, levels of radiation are rising rapidly around the reactors, threatening the lives of those at work there and of Japanese in general.

Because of the dangerousness of this containment operation, Japanese authorities have withdrawn most of the 800 people working on it, leaving only 70 in place.

This dangerousness is illustrated by the fact that further explosions are possible, and that those working at the site are being exposed to radiation 2.5 times over the permissible level.

Those that remain, however, ignore the danger as they make saving their fellow citizens their top priority. One of those involved sent an email to an American university professor who is a friend of his, saying, "I am ready to die."

These words give a sense of his heroic resolve to prevent a disaster, even if it means sacrificing himself. It has also been reported that 20 people volunteered to take part in the dangerous operation.

One man, who works at a local electricity company and is just six months away from retirement, is said to have been the first to volunteer. He, too, was hesitant at first, but then said, "I made my decision in order to avoid regrets in my life."

His daughter, however, said, "If that is his decision, I think he will have no regrets, even if something should happen. I cried for quite some time as I was so proud of my father." His wife asked him to do his best to end the anxieties of the people of Fukushima.

It has also been reported that three employees of Tohoku Enterprise, who had been withdrawn from the site, despite attempts by their families to dissuade them, went back to the nuclear plant saying that they had to protect their families, their region, and the Japanese people.

Some are also saying that extreme acts of self-sacrifice are inevitable in order to prevent this increasingly serious situation. If this is the case, those taking part in the containment operation can truly be described as a death-defying corps rescuing Japan.

These are truly great Japanese people. Japan can be proud of them. As neighbors of Japan, we Koreans express our respect for them.

Japan is now in a state of great sadness because of the massive disaster that has struck it. But as long as it has the bravery and spirit of self-sacrifice shown by these people, we believe it can overcome the crisis. We wish strength to Japan (Ganbarei, Nippon). (Editorial. Mar 18, 2011)