Following Japan’s devastating earthquake last year, new evidence has emerged suggesting certain food imports to Korea are coming from the Fukushima prefecture, the same area that was affected by the damaged nuclear power plant that had the world on the edge of its seat [sofa? – Ed] for a few months.
Food imports from Fukushima are banned in some countries so some netizens are confused as to why they’re being marketed in Korea.
From Nate:
110 tons of food products from radioactive Fukushima have been imported to Korea – Netizens enraged.
Over 100 tons of food has been imported to Korea from Fukushima prefecture even after the nuclear disaster. Even though the health authorities are claiming that no radioactivity has been detected on the imported food products, many people voiced their concerns.
According to the Korean Food & Drugs Administration 111.5 tons of food products have been imported over a total of 190 shipments from the Fukushima prefecture after the nuclear disaster in Japan last March.
More specifically, 44.2 tons of mixed additives and 42.7 tons of marine products were imported.
14.5 tons of Choengju refined rice wine produced in Fukushima prefecture was brought to Korea. Candy(3 tons), fish seasoning products (2.2 tons), seasoned salted fish(1.4 tons) was also imported. What’s more, in March 2011 not even one month after the disaster 0.2 tons of mixed additives were imported from Fukushima prefecture. In April 2011, right after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, other products, such as 4.6 tons of Choengju rice wine and 6.3 tons of marine products, also entered Korean markets.
After the nuclear accident Korean Food and Drugs Administration conducts tests on all products imported from Japan for radioactivity and the results of those tests are open to public. As of yet there has been no case of a product testing positive for radioactivity, but it is clear that Korean citizens have consumed some products produced in Fukushima prefecture.
The chief of the food imports section of the Korea Foods and Drugs Administration, Hong Heonhoo, explained: “Even though the food might have been produced in Fukushima, it is thoroughly tested for radioactivity before it is allowed to enter Korea, so only safe food products are distributed to domestic markets.”
However, in some countries imports of any food products from Fukushima prefecture are still banned. And the fact that the deadly effect of radioactive particles onto human body can last for several decades gives rise to controversy about the “safety” of such imports.
Comments from Nate:
이소연:
Other countries like China or Russia are banning the imports, so why is Korea importing this stuff!!! Do you not have a brain?!!!
박지훈:
What’s the government even thinking???
김승옥:
So outrageous! This bloody government…
원선종:
Even if the government put a ban on any of the imports right now, it’d be too late… aren’t they crazy..? What I really hate the most is bastards who play with my food… they import it even though they know the food is contaminated… The government food agency officials and the importer bastards should all be caught, dismembered and killed.
이은희:
The Saenuri Party [current governing party] obviously views us as pushovers. Let’s show them in the elections. They mustn’t be given another chance.
이성애:
When there is an import of 1000kg or 5000kg of fish coming in, they only test about 1kg of it. Then they even say it’s thoroughly tested for radioactivity before it’s allowed to enter Korea, so only safe food products are distributed to domestic market??????? When so much fish is imported and most of the imports are already even packaged.. do you really think that citizens are gonna believe this nonsense??
홍재철:
This really is going too far. What’s the reason for having a government that cannot even do such basic things? Before anything else, should they not at least ensure that the citizens’ health is in order?
김형진:
Fucking cunts, what bloody government would import such poison into the country? Who can guarantee that there isn’t tonnes and tonnes of radioactivity in the food? How many tonnes have you tested? And have you tested it properly? If you can’t test it all thoroughly, you shouldn’t be importing anything at all
김혜선:
If it’s so safe to eat it, stuff yourself with one food from each of the food category then ke ke ke ke there is no other country except us still importing this kind of stuff ke ke ke ke ke Trade reprisal? What are you gonna do? Japan can impose trade reprisals but we are definitely not useless either. Are we, like, fucking Nigeria or somewhere? ke ke ke ke ke ke Ishihara [governor of Tokyo] in Tokyo looked like he was gonna cry when he drank that contaminated water [from Fukushima] ke ke ke ke ke this is even worse than water, it’s food! ke ke ke ke ke ke ke ke stuff that even the Japanese don’t eat. Are we rubbish bins or what!? ke ke ke ke
고수연:
Saenuri Party, Democratic United Party, the nom amongst you, playing with our food… we won’t let you get away with it… Are you trying to kill the already minimal numbers of children that are being born [in South Korea] today? Please do clarify where the responsibility for this is….
정구윤:
2MB OUT! Shit-nuri party [Saenuri Party] OUT!
김웅기:
Ah.. You are saying it’s safe…..You are only testing for cesium because it’s the most common radioactive particle and testing for cesium is easy. You say that because it’s less than the standards, it’s safe?? For example in case of strontium, it takes several weeks to get the test results but they’ve decided not to test for it at all. Moreover, there is no technology to even detect many other radioactive particles. So in a situation when it’s not actually possible to know whether it’s dangerous or not. You decide to judge by testing just for cesium…….We have no technology for detecting many other radioactive particles so if we just don’t talk about them, is it safe? At the moment there is no technology for detecting all radioactive particles. So banning the imports is the right thing…. ah I really feel like swearing ..fuckers!..
고문경:
This is really shocking ke ke But what is the government doing? If a nuclear disaster happens, should Korea as the closest country to Japan not be the first one to stop all imports?
이창호:
[In a sarcastic tone] The president’s patriotism brings me to tears…
신동찬:
Why do you keep importing stuff that the Japanese don’t even eat..
김현옥:
Why are we always so keen to provide for Japan? Nowadays even in dramas there are always some scenes from Japan, are they worried about a drop in tourism from Japan? Could we please care about our citizens’ health first before we start worrying about the concerns of others….
김승주:
Ah, even China that messes with their own food has banned the imports. But our country, they shovel radioactive food into our mouths! We’re even worse than the bloody Chinks!
손승용:
Ha ~~~ During the Roh Moo-hyun presidency, if there was just one piece of bone in the meat imports from the USA, he’d return the whole import. It was not rare to see ”Meat import from the USA returned..” on the news…I wasn’t scared to eat imported food back then…
신지은:
So you are going to do your best to feed your own citizens with radioactivity. Are you wishing for malformed babies to be born? ke ke ke ke
김요셉:
I want to ask Lee Myung-bak’s supporters: What do you think about this? Are the Fukushima food imports safe?
