Marking quake anniversary, Japan’s envoy thanks Korea

Japanese Ambassador Masatoshi Muto hosted a reception last Wednesday to thank Korean charities and media for helping his country during last year’s disaster.

The reception at Muto’s residence in Seongbuk-dong, held three days after the first anniversary of the disaster, drew representatives from the Community Chest of Korea, the Korean Red Cross and the Korean emergency rescue unit. Also invited were media representatives and Korea’s Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Sung-han, former National Assembly speaker Kim Soo-han who heads the Korea-Japan Friendship Association and the Saenuri Party’s Rep. Lee Sang-deuk, the elder brother of President Lee Myung-bak.

Amb. Muto thanked Korean newspapers and TV companies for supporting his country following the earthquake and tsunami on March 11 last year and the subsequent nuclear meltdown at power plants in Fukushima.

He said that South Korea and its people turned out to be “true friends,” offering help at the level of the government, charities, media and citizens. 

“As South Korea’s government and people have given us a lot of help, I realized afresh that a friend who helps in a difficult time is a true friend,” he said.

He noted that Korea was the first country to dispatch an emergency rescue unit to the disaster-stricken region.

The ambassador presented representatives from the Korean media, including The Korea Herald, and charities with plaques to show appreciation for their support during the hard times in his home country.

More than 16,000 people died as a result of the catastrophe, with many communities still unable to fully recover from the quake, tsunami and consequent nuclear crisis.

People in South Korea set aside painful memories of Tokyo’s colonial rule of Korea from 1910-45 to help the Japanese people in the wake of the 9.0-magnitude offshore quake.

A team of five rescue workers and two search dogs arrived in Japan the day after the disaster and a team of over 100 people was there two days later.

Within one month, Korean charities had collected a total of 55.6 billion won ($51 million) toward the relief effort.

By Kirsty Taylor
(kirstyt@heraldcorp.com)