A new perspective on severe nuclear accidents

The reactions of the public in Korea to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plants in Japan, particularly over-reactions, are reviewed, with the conclusion that significant radioactive contamination of a small country could lead to a severe national crisis. The most important factor is the socio-economic damage caused by stigma, which in turn is caused by a misunderstanding of the radiation risk. Given that nuclear power is an important choice in the face of the threat of climate change, the public's perceptions need to be changed at any cost, not only in those countries operating nuclear power plants but globally as well.