"Mr. President, Can I No Longer Eat Salt?" An Elementary Student's Letter About Contaminated Water

'Letter from an Elementary School Student to the President' Sparks Attention
"The Ocean Is a Global Public Space... Hope You Change Your Mind"
Japan Government Begins Releasing Fukushima Contaminated Water on the 24th

At 1:03 PM on the 24th, as the Japanese government began releasing contaminated water from Fukushima into the ocean, a letter written by an elementary school student to President Yoon Suk-yeol has attracted attention.

Recently, a post titled "A Letter from an Elementary School Student to the President" has been spreading across multiple online communities. This letter was delivered to the student's father, Mr. A, by 10-year-old third grader Lee Yulha on the 23rd during MBC Radio’s ‘Shin Jang-sik’s News High Kick,’ with the request, "Please deliver this to the President."

Letter from Lee Yulha. [Image source=Online community capture]

Mr. A shared on the broadcast, "Not long ago, I watched the news about Japan’s contaminated water release with my daughter. She listened intently, then asked questions about the contaminated water. Her expression was more serious and upset than ever before," he said, sharing the story.

He continued, "Even while eating, my daughter often worries, asking things like, 'Can we no longer eat our salt? What about fish, seaweed, and clams? What if whales, seals, and dolphins living in the sea get sick?'"

That morning, on Mr. A’s way to work, Lee suddenly handed him a letter saying, "Dad, could you please deliver this to the President?" Mr. A explained, "I felt I absolutely had to send this letter. It contains a child’s pure perspective on the contaminated water release."

President Yoon Suk-yeol. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The letter from Lee began by introducing herself as "a child who really loves seafood, cool valleys, and the sea."

Lee wrote, "I thought the President would not allow the (contaminated water) release. But he did. I felt like I was about to cry." She added, "I believe the environment and ecosystem are really important to humans, no, to all living things. But the environment has gotten so bad?what will happen to the next generation of children? Because of that thought, I hardly sleep at night."

She continued, "When I grow up, I might only see whales in pictures. The most important thing is salt. I think salt must not disappear. Mr. President, if I could see the future, I think it would be really terrible," expressing her concerns.

She then pointed out, "The world has become this convenient because we made it this way. Since we made it, we should take responsibility for the environment too. What good is convenience if the Earth is suffering?" She added, "The ocean is a public place for the whole world. Isn’t a public place meant to be shared? Let’s make a healthy and happy Earth. This is something humans have done wrong."

Lee concluded her letter with, "I hope President Yoon Suk-yeol changes his mind. Thank you for listening to my story. From Lee Yulha, who loves the environment and the Earth."

Netizens who read Lee’s letter responded with comments such as, "Even children worry about future generations; as adults, we should be ashamed," and "I’m moved to tears by the current reality that we cannot change."

On the 24th at 1 PM, news was broadcasted on TV that the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan had begun. Citizens and travelers at Seoul Station are watching the news broadcast. Photo by Heo Younghan younghan@

Meanwhile, the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company began the first phase of releasing contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean around 1 PM on the 24th. This is about 12 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear accident on March 11, 2011.

President Yoon did not issue a separate statement that day. A presidential office official responded regarding the "Presidential Office’s stance on the start of Fukushima contaminated water release," saying, "Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has thoroughly conveyed the government’s position. As the Prime Minister said, protecting the health of our people is not political agitation but science."