270 Koreans evacuated from quake-hit Sendai

A combined 270 ethnic Korean residents and tourists were evacuated from Sendai in Japan’s Miyagi Prefecture Wednesday due to Friday’s massive earthquake.

Around 10 a.m., about 40 ethnic Korean residents gathered at the Korean consulate in Sendai to get on a bus provided by the Korean Embassy in Tokyo headed for Niigata Airport. Their faces showed a sense of relief from leaving the volatile place.

“I cannot live in Japan because it’s too scary,” said Joo Seung-hee, 53, while waiting for the bus with her son and niece. “I’m going to Korea without deciding when to return to Japan.”

Living in the village of Arahama in Sendai, where some 300 bodies were found, she witnessed the devastating damage from the tsunami caused by the earthquake. Though her husband still works in Sendai, she said she will return to Korea with her son because of trauma.

Another 40-something woman decided to send her two daughters to Korea. “I can’t leave here because of my job but I’ll send my children to Korea as soon as possible,” she said.

Her two daughters, who appeared to be in elementary school, do not speak fluent Korean. The mother asked another group of Koreans headed for the airport to help her daughters board the plane bound for Korea.

“Downtown Sendai wasn’t affected much but my daughters in Seoul insisted that I return to Korea,” said Jeong Jeom-soon, who began working at a Korean restaurant in Sendai 10 years ago. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back,” she said sighing.

They got on a bus headed for Niigata or Akita airport. A combined 270 ethnic Korean residents left Sendai with help from the Korean Embassy, including 57 who departed Wednesday. The number of ethnic Koreans staying at the shelter inside the consulate in Sendai decreased to about 10 from more than 100.

Other ethnic Korean residents staying in Japan say they hope to return to their daily lives.

“I’m worried over the enormous quake damage but I can’t leave this place that I’ve grown to love,” said Lee Hye-ryeong, who runs a private language institute in Sendai. “As this city is stabilizing little by little, I will continue to live in Sendai.”

lovesong@donga.com