독자기고| Chernobyl Warns Two Koreas : Nuclear Safe? 2012년 2월호

독자기고

Chernobyl Warns Two Koreas : Nuclear Safe?

Shin, Justin(12th grade student at Kent School)
and six others

The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants,” Omar Bradley, general of U.S. ground forces in World War II, once said. This statement holds a grain of truth. While nuclear energy provides a relatively cheap and efficient alternative to fossil fuels, it poses a grave threat to world safety.

Undoubtedly, the most infamous example of the dangerous nature of nuclear energy was the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine. Because of the extensive political, economic, and social ramifications of Chernobyl, nuclear development has become a controversial issue in the global arena. In particular, nuclear development has turned into a focal point of the relationship between North and South Korea. We need to consider ways in which the catastrophic accident in Ukraine sheds light on the situation in the Korean peninsula.

By examining the political consequences of the Chernobyl accident, one discovers that increased nuclear development, whether in North or South Korea, will worsen existing tensions and hinder efforts toward reunification.

Essentially, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 precipitated Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union. After the catastrophe, many Ukrainians became frustrated with Soviet rule, which demanded outperforming the United States at all costs.

Furthermore, the Soviet government made matters worse when it refused to discuss the incident openly and denied the event had even taken place. In the end, Gorbachev’s implementation of policies that allowed greater media freedom created an ideal environment for Chernobyl to grow into a rallying point for Ukraine’s independence.

Overdependence on Nuclear
Hinders Unification

Nuclear development on the Korean peninsula seems to be leading to a deterioration in political relationships. North Korea, despite opposition from the UN Security Council and numerous countries, invests the bulk of its state funds in its military and nuclear arms programs. Effective January 11, 2003, North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, announcing to the world its decision to continue building nuclear weapons.

For neighboring countries and those with a strategic interest in the situation, and especially for South Korea, North Korea’s combination of an unstable totalitarian government and possession of nuclear weapons represents a major threat.

Meanwhile, as North Korea has focused on nuclear arms, South Korea has been aggressively pursuing plans for more nuclear power plants. This plan for escalating reliance on nuclear energy also impedes the reunification process. The growing number of nuclear energy facilities in South Korea will substantially increase the chances of a disastrous nuclear accident, which would surely bring a halt to dreams of a unified Korea.