Massive earthquake hits Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa prefecture in Japan, how is current situation?

새해 첫날부터 日 이시카와현 노토반도에서 지진 폭설까지 겹쳐 구조활동 난항 On the very first day of 2024, a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7-point-6 struck Japan. It has already been a week since the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture was hit by the country’s deadliest earthquake in nearly eight years but there are still hundreds of people missing. Rescue operations continue, but due to adverse weather and the fact that it is a peninsula region with low accessibility, they are being hampered. How is the current situation in quake-hit central Japan? For this, we have Walter Sim, Japan correspondent from the Straits Times. (WALTER) Q1. It has already been a week since a massive earthquake hit Japan’s Noto Peninsula. What is the death toll, and how many are still missing? As far as I understand, it is difficult for humanitarian aid to reach most areas due to landslides and other issues, is this right? (WALTER) Q2. Since the 7-point-6 magnitude rattled the Ishikawa prefecture aftershocks had reportedly been hitting the region. Could you tell us more about the tremors and aftershocks the region has been seeing? (WALTER) Q3. The massive 9-point-0 magnitude quake that previously hit Japan in 2011 triggered a tsunami that swamped the Fukushima nuclear power plant at that time. And so this recent quake also raised concerns over potential damage to nuclear plants. Was any damage reported? (WALTER) Q4. Many regions and countries offered aid but Japan reportedly decided to only receive aid from the U.S. Is there a specific reason for this? And how have discussions developed so far regarding getting aid from Washington? (WALTER) Q5. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is boosting efforts to accelerate the restoration process. What plans for rescue and relief have been drafted and how will victims be assisted? Alright, that’s all I have for you, Walter. Hopefully, Japan can quickly recover from the damage and we hope that those affected will be able to return to their daily lives as soon as they can. Thank you for the update, Walter. We have asked Walter about the status quo in Japan after the recent massive earthquake Let’s now turn to an expert to ask the reason why such a quake occurred on the western side of Japan, and whether this was a sign of a much bigger earthquake to come. We also aim to ask what South Korea needs to do in order to prevent such natural disasters. And for this, we invite Professor Jeong Seokho, from Changwon National University. (JEONG) Q1. Until now, major earthquakes with a magnitude of 7 or higher in Japan have mainly occurred on the eastern side, such as the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the 2018 Hokkaido earthquake. Why was there such a big earthquake on the western side of Japan? (JEONG) Q2. Japan is the birthplace of seismology and sits on the “Ring of Fire.“ And so, Japan is well-known as a country that is well-prepared for such earthquakes. Why has the aftermath of the recent quake been difficult for Japan to deal with? (JEONG) Q3. According to the Geospatial Information Authority, the powerful earthquake caused crustal changes of up to 3 meters in the Noto region near the epicenter. The Korean peninsula has not seen any impact from it yet. What happens when there are crustal changes and if there were any, what impact could it have had on the Korean peninsula? (JEONG) Q4. South Korea is no longer a safe zone from earthquakes as well last November, a magnitude 4-point-0 earthquake struck Gyeongju City, and data revealed that earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or higher on the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding waters increased by more than 20 percent compared to the previous year in 2023. Is this true? (JEONG) Q5. After a massive quake hit Japan, the government announced it will complete anti-earthquake reinforcement of major public facilities by 2035. In order to be better prepared for possible earthquakes, what more should be done? (JEONG) Q6. Before we wrap up the show, could you share information about what steps we need to follow in order to be safe when earthquakes and tsunamis hit? Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have for today’s edition. Thank you, Professor Jeong for your time and insights. We appreciate it. #Japan #Ishikawa #Earthquake #Damage #일본 #이시카와 #지진 #피해 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2024-01-08, 18:30 (KST)