81 years after atomic bombings, peace conference calls for legal recognition of survivors' descendants

Marking 81 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a 'Denuclearization and Peace Conference' is underway in Hapcheon, South Korea, a region known as 'Korea's Hiroshima.' The event aims to commemorate victims of the atomic bombings and advocate for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons worldwide.

The Hapcheon Denuclearization and Peace Conference Organizing Committee announced the event, themed 'Inherited Radiation Exposure! Uniting for Legal Recognition and Healing,' would take place from August 4-6. Participating organizations include the Korean Atomic Bomb Survivors Association and various peace advocacy groups. The conference brings together atomic bomb survivors from South Korea, Japan, the United States, and Kazakhstan to share their experiences.

A key focus of the conference is a discussion forum on legally recognizing the descendants of atomic bomb survivors as victims. These descendants often face lifelong struggles with illness, disabilities, and social discrimination due to inherited health issues. Han Jeong-soon, president of the Korean Atomic Bomb Survivors Association, stated, "Descendants of atomic bomb survivors endure difficult days throughout their lives due to illness, disability, and social discrimination, but they are not recognized as legal victims. We hope that survivors of the second generation can also enjoy the value of a universal life, which is why we chose the theme 'Inherited Radiation Exposure! Uniting for Legal Recognition and Healing.'"

South Korea dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. An estimated 230,000 people died, including around 70,000 Koreans, of whom 40,000 perished. After liberation on August 15, 1945, about 23,000 survivors returned to Korea. Currently, only about 1,500 survivors remain, with an average age of 86. Hapcheon experienced particularly severe damage as many residents had been forcibly conscripted to work in Hiroshima.

The 'Special Act on Support for Korean Atomic Bomb Victims' enacted in 2016 defines victims as those directly exposed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 or were fetuses at the time. This law excludes descendants suffering from inherited conditions, citing a lack of scientific proof for transgenerational effects. Consequently, the number of descendants affected remains officially uncounted, although the Korean Atomic Bomb Survivors Association has 1,350 registered members.

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Descendants of atomic bomb survivors endure difficult days throughout their lives due to illness, disability, and social discrimination, but they are not recognized as legal victims. We hope that survivors of the second generation can also enjoy the value of a universal life, which is why we chose the theme 'Inherited Radiation Exposure! Uniting for Legal Recognition and Healing.'