South Korea Airport Checks Radiation Levels of Passengers from Japan
- 13 years ago
South Korea's main international airport is checking the radiation levels of passengers arriving from Japan. The checks are not mandatory, but are advised by authorities. They said that symptoms of radioactive contamination can even be caused by clothes exposed to high radiation levels.
Travelers arriving from Japan went through radiation checks at South Korean airports on Thursday. Fears of radioactive contamination rose amid Japan's nuclear crisis.
The country's main Incheon airport installed monitors late on Wednesday to check incoming passengers from Japan as a precautionary measure to cope with possible radioactive contamination.
[Cho Dae-young, Head of Radiation Check Team]:
"We will judge the contamination with the monitor. It will screen people primarily. Basically, we already have radiation existing around in our environment, so those who are detected 20 percent more than normal level will be screened."
Passengers were relieved that they have made it safely back to South Korea.
[Choo Dong-hui, Returning from Japan]:
"My family was really worried and it seemed like the radiation level continued rising, so I thought it would be better to be evacuated for now. So I came home temporarily."
Other returnees said they were worried about those left in Japan.
[Lee Hwa-Ja, Returning from Japan]:
"My children wanted me to come out due to the earthquake, but I didn't leave because I was nervous. People there were very calm, but daily necessities were lacking. I couldn't find them at the supermarkets."
The radiation checks were not mandatory, but authorities strongly advised them, saying symptoms of radioactive contamination can be caused by clothes exposed to high radiation levels.
South Korean experts say exposure to radioactive materials has the potential to cause various kinds of cancer and abnormalities to babies in the womb.
Travelers arriving from Japan went through radiation checks at South Korean airports on Thursday. Fears of radioactive contamination rose amid Japan's nuclear crisis.
The country's main Incheon airport installed monitors late on Wednesday to check incoming passengers from Japan as a precautionary measure to cope with possible radioactive contamination.
[Cho Dae-young, Head of Radiation Check Team]:
"We will judge the contamination with the monitor. It will screen people primarily. Basically, we already have radiation existing around in our environment, so those who are detected 20 percent more than normal level will be screened."
Passengers were relieved that they have made it safely back to South Korea.
[Choo Dong-hui, Returning from Japan]:
"My family was really worried and it seemed like the radiation level continued rising, so I thought it would be better to be evacuated for now. So I came home temporarily."
Other returnees said they were worried about those left in Japan.
[Lee Hwa-Ja, Returning from Japan]:
"My children wanted me to come out due to the earthquake, but I didn't leave because I was nervous. People there were very calm, but daily necessities were lacking. I couldn't find them at the supermarkets."
The radiation checks were not mandatory, but authorities strongly advised them, saying symptoms of radioactive contamination can be caused by clothes exposed to high radiation levels.
South Korean experts say exposure to radioactive materials has the potential to cause various kinds of cancer and abnormalities to babies in the womb.