The government seems to be caught in a dilemma over its import ban on seafood from Fukushima after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) granted approval for Japan’s plan to discharge treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean.
Seoul’s stance of respecting the IAEA’s findings appears contradictory as the Korean government is maintaining an import curb on Fukushima seafood products citing concerns over radioactive contamination.
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office said, Wednesday, it respects the IAEA’s final report issued the previous day.
“We respect the announcement of the IAEA, which is the leading United Nations agency in the field of nuclear safety,” a presidential official told The Korea Times.
“With the health and safety of the people as our top priority, the government will continue to monitor the proper implementation of the plan proposed by the IAEA and the Japanese government through close cooperation with them,” the official added, noting that the government will increase monitoring of radioactive substances in the country’s ocean.
On Tuesday, the United Nations nuclear watchdog unveiled the final report of its years-long safety review of the wastewater, which concluded that Tokyo’s proposed plan to release the contaminated water is “consistent with the agency’s safety standards.” The report also stated that the discharged water would have a “negligible radiological impact to people and the environment.”
Backed by the approval from the U.N. organization, Japan is likely to mount pressure on Korea to resume imports of seafood from Fukushima and other areas affected by the 2011 nuclear disaster.
Since 2013, Korea has maintained a comprehensive import ban on fisheries products from Fukushima Prefecture and seven other neighboring regions due to concerns over radioactive contamination.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minister Matsuno Hirokazu said Korea’s import ban on Fukushima seafood is “an important task” for Japan, implying that it will continue to bring up the issue in bilateral discussions.
In response, the Korean government reiterated its stance that it will not lift the restrictions until Koreans feel safe about it.
“The issue of importing seafood from Fukushima and the assessment of the safety of the water discharge plan are completely different matters,” Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said during a daily briefing on Fukushima water, Wednesday.
“It is also not a matter of how many years have passed (since the nuclear accident). The government will never import the seafood until its safety is scientifically confirmed and until our public sentiment finds it acceptable.”
Members of civic groups opposing Japan’s planned release of treated radioactive wastewater hold a press conference at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Wednesday, criticizing the International Atomic Energy Agency’s final report approving Tokyo’s plan. Yonhap
Lingering doubts on IAEA report
The IAEA’s green light, which was widely anticipated given the fact that its previous six interim reports had positively assessed Tokyo’s treatment process of the radioactive water, has failed to gain acceptance among some neighboring countries.
Shortly after the report was published, China’s foreign ministry expressed regrets over the “hasty” release of the paper, saying that the IAEA’s findings “should not be a shield or green light for Japan’s discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean.”
Beijing also said the conclusion drawn by the U.N. nuclear watchdog is largely limited and incomplete, as it failed to answer questions concerning the long-term effectiveness of Japan’s purification facility.
On the other hand, the United States expressed support for the water release plan. The U.S. State Department said “science should dictate judgments,” in an apparent expression of endorsement for the IAEA’s report.
“We understand Japan has also consulted scientists and partners from across the Indo-Pacific region on its plans,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said during a briefing, Tuesday (local time).
