日 방사능 오염수, 어업인·환경단체가 함께 힘 모을 때

이용기 환경운동연합 생태보전팀장

*해당글은 2023년 5월 30일 한국수산신문에 게재됐습니다.

  2011년 3월 11일 일본 후쿠시마 제1원전 사고가 일어났다. 만 12년이 지난 지금 우리는 전혀 해결되지 않은 현지의 모습과 방사능 오염수 방류라는 직접적인 피해를 마주하고 있다. 후쿠시마 오염수 방류를 앞두고 시찰단이 파견된 지금도 우리는 매체를 통해 후쿠시마 원전 주변 지역에서 방사능이 검출되는 장면을 시청할 수 있다. 국경 없는 바다로 유입 지난 12년과 현재의 차이는 우리가 후쿠시마라는 지리적 간접성에서 국경 없는 바다를 통해 유입될 후쿠시마 원전 방사능 오염수를 직면하고 있다는 것이다. 후쿠시마 원전 방사능 오염수 위협이 코앞까지 다가온 지금은 환경단체와 어업인이 공동 대응을 결속해야 할 시기다. 환경운동연합 등 시민단체는 일본 정부가 지구적 손해를 끼치면서도 가장 저렴한 처리 방법을 선택한 것을 규탄하며 계획 철회를 요구하고 있다. 방사능 오염수 처리는 지층 주입, 해양 방출, 수증기 방출, 전기분해 수소 방출, 지하 매설이 대안으로 고려됐지만 일본 정부는 가장 저렴한 해양 방출을 선택했다. G7(주요 7개국)이 정상회의를 앞둔 지난 16일 환경운동연합을 포함한 한국 시민단체와 후쿠시마 주민을 포함한 100여명은 일본 도쿄전력 앞에서 “바다를 더럽히지 말라”며, 방사능 오염수 해양 방류 철회를 요구했다. 환경ㆍ시민단체는 방사능 오염수 방류에 대한 의견을 일본에 전달하는 한편 어업인과 국민을 보호하기 위해 더 큰 목소리를 내야 할 우리 정부에게 후쿠시마 방사능 오염수 처리에 적극적이고 강력한 대응을 촉구하고 있다. 장기적으로 후쿠시마 방사능 오염수가 영향을 끼칠 국민 건강문제와 함께 방사능 오염수로 인해 발생하는 수산물 불신은 어업인에게 직접적인 피해를 줄 수 있다. 실제로 우린 지난 2005년 말라카이트 그린, 중금속, 항생제 등이 검출된 중국산 수입 수산물 사건과 2008년 태안 유류유출사고가 수산물 소비 감소로 이어진다는 경험을 했다. 후쿠시마 방사능 오염수 방류로 민감한 지금 일부 몰지각한 유통업체가 일본 수산물을 국내 수산물로 불법 둔갑한 것이 적발되면서 수산물 신뢰도에 먹칠을 했다. 아직 방사능 오염수 방출이 시작되지도 않았는데 수산물 소비량이 줄었다는 소식은 수산물 신뢰도 하락의 반증이다. 지금은 어업인과 환경단체가 후쿠시마 방사능 오염수 방류에 대한 국내외적인 공동 대응과 함께 정책 변화까지도 함께 논의해야 하는 중대한 시기다. 환경단체는 국제적 여론을 모으기 위해 여러 나라의 연대를 모으고 있다. 환경단체의 국제적 연대 서명뿐 아니라 피해가 예상되는 지구상의 다른 어촌계와 연대해 후쿠시마 방사능 오염수에 어업인 연대 공동 대응도 가능한 방법으로 생각된다. 어업인 연대를 통한 국제 여론 조성도 방사능 오염수 방류에 대한 일본 정부를 압박할 수 있는 수단이 될 수 있다. 학교급식 확대 등 정책 제안 또 후쿠시마 방사능 오염수의 불안감으로 수산물 소비가 줄어드는 지금 환경단체와 어업인은 국외에서 들어오는 수산물의 추적과 국내에서 생산하는 수산물의 추적이 명확하게 소비자에게 전달될 수 있도록 정부 정책을 제안할 수 있다. 이미 수산물이력제라는 제도가 있긴 하지만 농산물이나 축산물이력제와 비교해 너무 부족한 정보와 권고성 제도로 유명무실한 제도가 됐다는 평가다. 한 부처에서 정착하지 못한 수산물이력제의 과거 성장 과정과는 별개로 지금은 국내산 수산물이라는 장점을 내세우는 대안으로 환경단체와 어업인이 개선을 논의해 충분히 해볼 수 있다. 생산자와 유통과정이 명확한 국내산 수산물이력제로 개선하는데 초기 제도 정착의 어려움은 예상할 수 있다. 초기 정착의 어려움은 정부가 어업인이 좀 더 편하고 쉽게 참여할 수 있도록 시스템을 마련해야 한다. 또 정부는 후쿠시마 방사능 오염수 방류를 돌파하기 위한 어업인의 노력을 지원할 수 있도록 학교급식 수산물이력제 우대 제도와 같은 연관 정책도 마련하는 걸 제안할 수 있다. 기존에 축산물이력제나 농산물이력제를 우대하는 학교급식에 농축산물이력제와 동등한 수준의 수산물이력제를 우대하는 건 어렵지 않은 일이다. 후쿠시마 방사능 오염수 문제를 앞둔 지금 어업인과 환경단체가 진정으로 함께 힘을 모을 때다. 짧은 글 속에서 표현할 수 있는 몇 안 되는 제안이나 대안은 환경단체와 어업인이 함께 모여 논의하면 생각하지 못한 훌륭한 정책을 만들어 낼 수도 있다는 생각이 든다. 환경단체와 어업인의 협력은 다양한 방식의 견고한 국제 연대를 만들어 일본 정부에 메시지를 보내고, 정부가 후쿠시마 방사능 오염수 대응에 강력하고 적극적인 대응을 하도록 목소리를 낼 수 있다. 현재도 후쿠시마 방사능 오염수와 관련된 환경단체와 단체행동에 나선 어업인 협회가 있지만 폭넓은 협력과 연대는 분명 더 나은 대안을 가져온다. 지금 환경단체와 어업인이 한마음으로 뜻을 모으고 협력해야 할 시기다.

Korea Peace Appeal Campaign International Partners Meeting

 70 years of the Korean War Armistice,
Let’s Build Peace Together!

Korea Peace Appeal has scheduled a Zoom meeting for international partners.

Military tension on the Korean peninsula is elevating amid the never-ending ceasefire. The risk of an accidental armed conflict is very high. The prospect of peace on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia is not so bright. There is a desperate need for voices calling for peace.

Marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice this year, the Korea Peace Appeal Campaign has launched a new project <Korea Peace Action for the 70 years of the Korean War Armistice>. We plan to continue the Korea Peace Appeal signature campaign but more intensively, and organize various peace actions all over the world.

We aim to share awareness of the current situation and introduce our plan for 2023 and discuss ideas and opinions on building peace on the Korean Peninsula through the meeting.

Please join us in building peace together!

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Program

• Presentation : Current Crisis on the Korean Peninsula
  – Jae-Jung Suh (Professor for Politics and International Relations at International Christian University)
• Presentation : 2023 Plan and Introduction for International Participation
  – Korea Peace Appeal Campaign
• Discussion

We have set two individual sessions considering the time difference. The two sessions will cover the same content! Please register for a session that suits your schedule by clicking on the link beside each session.

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Journey for Peace in 2022

Shining moments of the Korea Peace Appeal Campaign in 2022

“There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.”

Now, the moments that we’ve worked to make peace here.
We gathered the main activities of the Korea Peace Appeal Campaign in 2022.
Thank you for being with us this year.

2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice.
It’s time to cheer up to ease military tension and open the road to peace.

The world doesn’t get better on its own.
If we don’t say peace,
Peace is not coming.

Let’s make hope of peace together!

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On 10 Jan, the Korea Peace Appeal Campaign and the South Korean Committee on June 15th Joint Declaration had a press conference <Let’s work together to resolve war crsis and realize peace on the Korean Peninsula>.

Thourogh the press conference, they expressed concerns about the current crisis and strongly urged “to stop all military threats aggravating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, stop provocative actions and start crisis management together.”

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Let’s Work Together to Resolve the War Crisis and Realize Peace on the Korean Peninsula

January 10th, 2023

The new year has begun full of anxiety over war. The military crisis on the Korean Peninsula gets worse without an exit. The peninsula has reached a dangerous situation where tensions have simmered as all communication channels between South and North have been cut off. And a realistic solution to prevent armed conflict and rebuild the condition for dialogue is nowhere in sight. President Yoon Suk-yeol is creating more anxiety by continuing remarks such as ‘prepared for entering the war,’ ‘superior war preparation,’ ‘review of the suspension of the September 19 military agreement’ and so on. The Ministry of Unification is also raising tensions by mentioning measures like installing loudspeakers or allowing leaflets to be sent which might lead to clashes in the border area.

We gathered here today with a desperate heart of ‘No more war on the Korean Peninsula under any circumstance.’ It is difficult to predict what catastrophe will happen if any unexpected armed conflict should occur in a strained atmosphere. Amid a vicious circle in the form of a chicken game on the Korean Peninsula and deepening confrontation between the ROK-the US-Japan and the DPRK-China-Russia, Northeast Asia is increasingly becoming a powder keg of the world.

All military threats aggravating tensions on the Korean Peninsula must be stopped. We strongly urge that the parties concerned stop provocative actions and start crisis management together. Hostile policies and force projection operations can never be a solution but only worsen the vicious circle. The current crisis is the result of the collapse of mutual trust as negotiations have failed after the agreements were not kept and hostile policies continued. The hard-won inter-Korean and DPRK-US agreements in 2018 must be implemented. What we need are realistic measures and preemptive actions to ease military tensions and shift to a dialogue phase. In particular, the suspension of large-scale ROK-US joint military exercises will play a key role in improving relationships and setting conditions for dialogues.

We can’t just stand idly by and let this crisis happen with anxiety. The more difficult it is to speak about peace, the louder our voice for peace should be. Moreover, this year 2023 is the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement. However, even the 70-year-old unstable armistice cannot be guaranteed to remain the same in the future. It is a moment when the voices calling for no war and the realization of peace, as well as the efforts of civil society from all spheres, are more desperate than ever.

At this potential flashpoint a way out seems hard found, the South Korean Committee on June 15th Joint Declaration and the Korea Peace Appeal Campaign propose ‘2023 Korea Peace Action for the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice (tentative)’ and earnestly urge everyone who wants peace to join us.

To resolve the war crisis and realize peace on the Korean Peninsula this year, we are carrying forward

an intensive signature campaign to oppose the war and realize peace on the Korean Peninsula
demand to stop the ROK-US joint military exercises and ROK-US-Japan military cooperation
simultaneous peace actions in 300 places around the world including 200 Korean cities and towns
a massive peace rally and a march on 22 July, Saturday
a large-scale peace action around 15 August

Through this, we would like to resolve the war crisis and create a new turning point for peace as we meet people from all over the nation to firmly organize the voice of peace and stand in solidarity with people across the globe who want peace on the Korean Peninsula and East Asia.

Starting with today’s press conference proposal, we will meet civil society organizations across the nation to bring together wisdom and hearts, and launch ‘2023 Korea Peace Action for the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice (tentative)’ on 14 February, Tuesday to get into our stride with actions. We request all sorts of religious and civil society organizations to participate in ‘2023 Korea Peace Action for the 70th Anniversary of the Armistice’ to discuss and seek actions that we can take together here and now, and to show the strong power of the peace-wanting people. Let’s overcome this unprecedented war crisis with remarkably wide and robust solidarity and joint action so that we can open the way for peace again.

Korean Version

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On December 8 2022, in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) organised a roundtable discussion titled Building and Sustaining Peace at the Regional Level: The Network Approach to Regional Coordination in Northeast Asia during an advocacy visit of Ulaanbaatar Process participants to New York City.

This discussion was an informal dialogue to share the learning from the Ulaanbaatar Process with global peacebuilding policy experts within the United Nations, Member States and regional organisations. The conversation outlined critical avenues to support regional peacebuilding coordination in policy and shared practical experiences for practical action. The discussion also outlined persistent challenges of regional peacebuilding coordination, and discussed recommendations to develop solutions to strengthen peacebuilding work in Northeast Asia.

During the roundtable, remarks were shared by Ulziibayar Vangansuren, Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations; Ambassador Enkhsaikhan Jargalsaikhan, Chair of NGO Blue Banner and former Mongolian Permanent Representative to the UN; Sonja Bachmann, Teamleader Northeast Asia and Pacific, UN Department of Peacebuilding Political Affairs (DPPA); Kajita Natsuha, learning designer and facilitator; Kim Jeongsoo, Standing Representative, Women Making Peace and Hwang Sooyoung, Manager, Centers for Peace and Disarmament and for International Solidarity, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD).

Based on the experiences from Northeast Asia, the following key elements build an effective regional peacebuilding architecture:

• Multi-stakeholder coordination is required and must be based on complementarity among partners.
• The network approach to peacebuilding must be at the core of regional coordination.
• Inclusivity is key for effective regional peacebuilding networks.

The following recommendations have thus been identified for the strengthening of the regional peacebuilding mechanisms:  

• The UN should take a more active convening role to bring together regional actors, the UN, national governments, and civil society, among others, to coordinate actions better and ensure a stronger impact of peacebuilding activities.  Where regional peacebuilding networks play an essential role in building the foundation for regional dialogue, the UN should provide technical and political accompaniment to ensure the commitment to action. 

• Improved funding mechanisms are needed to support the civil society organizations’ network approach. A network approach creates empowering and equitable spaces for exchanging expertise for more impactful and informed action, sharing resources and access points at various levels, and enabling and supporting communities committed to peace. Donors should reflect on how to improve funding mechanisms to support better civil society organizations engaged in regional peacebuilding networks, allowing them, through effective funding, to fill the gaps in the regional peacebuilding infrastructure. It is crucial to ensure that all regions are fairly represented in the international discussion on peacebuilding and are given international attention, as this also impacts funding availability. 

• The inclusion of women and youth is key in regional peacebuilding networks and should be supported. Although women are strongly affected by conflicts, they are often excluded from negotiations and peace processes, especially in highly patriarchal contexts. The inclusion of local women within peacebuilding initiatives is essential to ensure that their unique perspectives can have a real impact at the decision-making level. Likewise, the meaningful participation of young people in dialogue on equal terms is essential to achieve and sustain peace. Young people in all their diversities should be considered as drivers for change, and their contributions should be held as relevant and valuable. Donors should prioritise supporting regional peacebuilding dialogues that ensure the meaningful participation of women and youth at all stages of the process.  The UN and its Member States should use their influence and international platforms to  ensure that the unique perspectives of local women and youth peacebuilders are heard and taken into account in the decision-making processes.

This is an article for Global Partnership for the prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) Northeast Asia News, Jan 2023

Summary Document [See/Download]

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