Person finder for Japanese earthquake area;South Korea provides assistance to Japan

Google has set up a "Person Finder" whereby you can look for persons in the affected area or offer information about the whereabouts of people there.

It's available in Japanese, Korean, English, and Chinese. I don't know how effective it is, though.

This comes at a time when Yonhap reports that some 130 South Korea citizens are still unaccounted for in Miyagi Prefecture, hardest hit by the earthquake.

The US State Department is offering ways to find out about specific individuals. For any American citizen living in South Korea, Japan, or elsewhere, this is a good time to consider informing the US Embassy in that country of your location.

Meanwhile, South Korea stands ready to help Japan out at this difficult time. President Lee, who was born in Osaka, has pledged that South Korea "will do its utmost" to provide assistance:

South Korea said Saturday its rescue workers and military cargo planes were ready to fly to Japan to help the neighboring country hit by the most powerful earthquake it has ever recorded.

A team of 120 relief workers, medical personnel and three military transport planes were ready to depart for Japan, awaiting a request from the Japanese government, officials at Seoul's Foreign Ministry said.

A smaller group of rescue workers and their rescue dogs has already arrived in Japan.

The Japanese media has been taking note of South Korea's and other countries' contributions.