A Japanese pastor has visited South Korea seeking immigration for dozens of residents after their region was devastated by a nuclear disaster last year, an official said Tuesday.

Pastor and civic activist Nagato Tsuboi from Fukushima visited the southwestern county of Jangsu last month, a county official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“He came with several South Korean estate developers and said he was looking to buy land at a place similar to Fukushima, like our county and Jeju,” he said. Jeju is South Korea’s southern resort island.

The pastor said dozens of Fukushima residents hoped to live in a safe place where their children could live with no fears of radiation, the official said.

The Fukushima disaster was sparked by a huge earthquake and tsunami, leaving more than 19,000 people dead.

The official said Tsuboi described Jangsu, whose main industries are rice production and livestock farming, as a place similar to the disaster-stricken Japanese prefecture. (AFP)