Nuclear Debates in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea: The Perspective of Intergenerational Justice and Democratic Participation

[[abstract]]The policy options of the present generation on nuclear energy bring significant effect to future generation. This paper focuses on intergenerational justice and democratic participation in the nuclear debate prior and after the Fukushima Nuclear Incident in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. Similarly, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea are highly dependent on importation of energy sources. Nuclear industries in these three countries are strongly influenced by the USA. Hence, the issues of nuclear energy are always embedded in the energy security and international relations. However, the Fukushima nuclear incident had brought different impact to these three countries. For Taiwan, Fukushima Nuclear Incident is seen as the re-birth of anti-nuclear activism nation-wide. Subsequently it forced the government to halt the construction of the Forth Nuclear Power Plant in 2014. For Japan, civil anti-nuclear activism has expanded after Fukushima Incident. However, there is no firm commitment from Japanese government to reduce/eliminate the reliance on nuclear energy. For South Korea, anti-nuclear movement has always been limited at the local level. After the Fukushima, nuclear energy remains a strategic priority and perceived as national defense and national security issue. By conducting field study, this paper critically assesses the public perception on nuclear power in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. This paper compares the changes of public opinions prior and post the Fukushima Nuclear Incident. In the meantime, this paper also examines how the ideas of intergenerational justice and public participation developed in the nuclear debate in these three countries prior and post the Fukushima Incident. The overall purpose of this project is to determine how far the ideas and principles of intergenerational justice and democratic participation have informed the nuclear management policies of Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. This paper will also contributes to debates on policy issue of nuclear energy, and helps members of local communities, government officials and politicians in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea to develop a greater awareness of the problems and issues of nuclear energy.[[notice]]補正完