Protests mount in South Korea over Japan's plan to release Fukushima water
Published: 04:08 PM,Aug 23,2023 | EDITED : 08:08 PM,Aug 23,2023
SEOUL: South Korea's majority opposition party and civic groups around the country stepped up protests on Wednesday against Japan's plan to release water from the Fukushima nuclear plant a day ahead of the planned start of the discharge.
'We intend to hold the Yoon government responsible for failing to do its duties,' opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said at a party meeting.
Public concern remains high in South Korea over the plan to release more than 1 million metric tons of treated radioactive water starting at 1 p.m. Japan time on Thursday, with a majority of people expressing worry over seafood and ocean contamination, according to surveys.
In a July public survey by the pollster Media Research, 62% of the people said they would cut back or stop consuming seafood once the discharge goes ahead, despite the South Korean government's assurances to closely monitor the release.
Local governments in South Korea said they would step up radiation tests over seafood to ease consumer concerns. The Seoul metropolitan government said on Wednesday it would carry out daily testing for all seafood at major markets and disclose the results real-time, while South Gyeongsang province plans to livestream its testing.
Democratic Party members and Foreign Minister Park Jin clashed in parliament over the possibility of direct impact to South Korea.
Park said currents will carry the water around the Pacific along the Americas before it reaches South Korea's shores in four years containing less radioactive tritium than normal sea water.
Park also repeated the government's position that its assessment does not necessarily mean it endorses Japan's idea.
Japan has said that the water release is safe. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved the plan in July, saying that it met international standards and that the impact it would have on people and the environment was 'negligible'.
Documents from the Japanese government and the Fukushima plant operator show that radioactive contaminants will be removed from the water before it is pumped into sea, leaving only traces that are far below regulatory standards. — Reuters
'We intend to hold the Yoon government responsible for failing to do its duties,' opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said at a party meeting.
Public concern remains high in South Korea over the plan to release more than 1 million metric tons of treated radioactive water starting at 1 p.m. Japan time on Thursday, with a majority of people expressing worry over seafood and ocean contamination, according to surveys.
In a July public survey by the pollster Media Research, 62% of the people said they would cut back or stop consuming seafood once the discharge goes ahead, despite the South Korean government's assurances to closely monitor the release.
Local governments in South Korea said they would step up radiation tests over seafood to ease consumer concerns. The Seoul metropolitan government said on Wednesday it would carry out daily testing for all seafood at major markets and disclose the results real-time, while South Gyeongsang province plans to livestream its testing.
Democratic Party members and Foreign Minister Park Jin clashed in parliament over the possibility of direct impact to South Korea.
Park said currents will carry the water around the Pacific along the Americas before it reaches South Korea's shores in four years containing less radioactive tritium than normal sea water.
Park also repeated the government's position that its assessment does not necessarily mean it endorses Japan's idea.
Japan has said that the water release is safe. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved the plan in July, saying that it met international standards and that the impact it would have on people and the environment was 'negligible'.
Documents from the Japanese government and the Fukushima plant operator show that radioactive contaminants will be removed from the water before it is pumped into sea, leaving only traces that are far below regulatory standards. — Reuters