Affected by the discharge of nuclear contaminated water from Fukushima Island into the sea, the passenger flow at South Korea's east coast beach has sharply decreased by nearly 40%. South Korea | Beach | Passenger flow
The hot weather in South Korea has hit, and many people used to go to beach resorts to cool down. However, this year, due to the impact of Japan's Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge plan, public anxiety has increased, and the passenger flow of beach resorts has declined, which has also had an impact on nearby business districts.
In Gangneung City, Gangwon do, on the east coast of South Korea, the reporter visited the largest seawater bath in the area, which is also one of the three major seawater baths in South Korea. Starting from early July, the bathhouses on the east coast of South Korea have been gradually opening, and the peak season officially entered in late July. However, the reporter saw that there were not many tourists here.
![Affected by the discharge of nuclear contaminated water from Fukushima Island into the sea, the passenger flow at South Korea's east coast beach has sharply decreased by nearly 40%. South Korea | Beach | Passenger flow](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/20df9c78bbd3fd7bf424cd1e31cd805d.jpg)
According to the latest data, as of last weekend, the 85 bathhouses on South Korea's east coast received only 872000 visitors, a decrease of 36% compared to the same period last year. Not only here, but also in the first half of this month, the passenger flow of beaches in Busan, South Korea has sharply decreased by 37%.
Affected by high inflation and continuous rainfall, the willingness of South Korean people to travel is already not high. In addition, there were previous reports from Japanese media that cesium, a radioactive substance in the body of a fish caught in the harbor of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, was 180 times higher than the value specified by Japan's food hygiene laws. This news has raised doubts among many South Korean tourists about the safety of seawater quality. During the visit, the reporter learned that many Koreans have given up the standard summer beach and choose to go to the mountains to escape the heat.
![Affected by the discharge of nuclear contaminated water from Fukushima Island into the sea, the passenger flow at South Korea's east coast beach has sharply decreased by nearly 40%. South Korea | Beach | Passenger flow](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/eea4a2db5a417c41d9e35f2ac6412081.jpg)
The decrease in passenger flow at the beach directly affects the prosperity of the surrounding business district, resulting in a significant decline in the revenue of businesses. Some seafood restaurant owners nearby have stated that no one is coming to eat sashimi now, and there are no customers during dining hours. Therefore, they decided to turn off the lights to reduce electricity bills. Some individual businesses have hired people to help in preparation for the peak season, but now they have no income and labor costs have become a burden.