Since the Japanese government announced the start of discharging contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean on the 24th, anxiety and crisis sentiments have been on the rise within the Korean food industry. Let's take a closer look at the impact of this decision on the Korean food industry and the concerns of citizens.
Anxious Consumers due to Contaminated Water Release The Korean food industry, especially fish and seafood, is the most affected by this decision. Concerns have arisen because it is challenging to predict how the released contaminated water will affect seafood products. Many consumers are feeling uneasy about this situation.
Yoon Amuge (43), who lives in Seoul's Mapo District, has been cherishing her last opportunity by ordering fresh sashimi and seafood since the announcement of the contaminated water discharge. She said, "I don't feel good about it when I think about domestic fishermen, but since we don't know what impact the nuclear plant's contaminated water will have on the marine ecosystem, I ordered this sashimi meal thinking it might be my last."
Consumers are attempting to alleviate their concerns by purchasing frozen food or vacuum-sealed fish and storing them in the freezer.
Crisis for Korean Food Industry and Merchants The decision to release contaminated water has dealt a significant blow to companies associated with the Korean food industry. In particular, hweh (sashimi) restaurants and seafood processing companies have seen a sharp drop in sales.
A merchant who runs a large hweh restaurant in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, has already experienced a more than 30% decrease in sales since the confirmed decision to release contaminated water. They are worried about the future. The merchant expressed distrust toward the Japanese government, saying, "Does the Moon Jae-in government not care whether fishermen and merchants live or die? I'm suspicious of what kind of government Japan has."
The restaurant industry is also expressing significant concerns about the contaminated water release. A representative of the restaurant industry franchise stated, "We are already facing difficulties due to weak consumer spending caused by rising dining prices. With the additional issue of the contaminated water, it's like piling one crisis on top of another. We cannot rely on optimism alone, so we are considering the introduction of our own radiation measurement equipment."
Impact on Gift Sets People preparing gift sets ahead of the Chuseok holiday are also contemplating alternatives due to concerns about the contaminated water. Those who were planning gift sets that included seafood products are now looking for safer options. This is expected to have an impact on the Korean food industry.
Won Amuge (46), who runs a personal business, said, "I was planning to gift abalone or oyster sets for this year's Chuseok, but now I think people might hesitate to accept them even if I give them away," and added, "I've decided to exclude seafood sets."
The Japanese decision to release contaminated water has left significant unease among companies and consumers in the Korean food industry. Especially during the gift set season before Chuseok, the contaminated water issue is expected to have a significant impact on gift choices. Companies related to the Korean food industry may need to consider measures such as the introduction of their own radiation measurement equipment.
