Korea granted regular visits to IAEA office in Fukushima

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Korea granted regular visits to IAEA office in Fukushima

Published: 22 Aug. 2023, 18:16 Updated: 23 Aug. 2023, 11:12

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida answers questions from journalists upon his arrival at the prime minister's office on Tuesday in Tokyo. [AP/YONHAP]

Korea will be allowed regular visits to the office of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Fukushima to receive the latest updates on Japan’s discharge of its treated radioactive water into the sea scheduled to start this Thursday.

Speaking to reporters in Seoul on Tuesday shortly after Japan’s announcement of its water discharge this week, Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said the latest arrangement between the IAEA and Seoul does not mean that Korea fully supports the Japanese plan to discharge its treated water from Fukushima.

“If by any chance Japan veers from its original discharge plan, the Korean government will deem this action harmful to the safety and health of the Korean people and request Japan to cease all operations immediately," he said.

Tokyo announced on Tuesday its decision to release the treated radioactive water from the ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant starting Thursday.

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“Japan has ultimately declared the worst possible environmental destruction." - Lee Jae-myung, leader of Democratic Party

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The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant sits in coastal towns of both Okuma and Futaba, as seen from the Ukedo fishing port in Namie town, northeastern Japan, on March 2, 2022. [AP/YONHAP]

The plant was struck by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. The electricity that was supposed to pump coolant to the reactors was shut down, leading to a partial meltdown at the plant, which today stores some 1.25 million tons of contaminated water.

The latest announcement from Japan drew strong opposition from Korea's Democratic Party (DP), who called the Japanese decision “a crisis.”

“Japan has ultimately declared the worst possible environmental destruction,” said Lee Jae-myung, DP leader, during a rally the liberal party hosted at the National Assembly in Seoul on Tuesday. “It has decided to commit the evil of dumping contaminated water into the sea without proper scientific verification, understanding from neighboring countries or consent from Japanese citizens.”

Lee called the situation a national crisis and vowed the DP would do all it can to stop Japan from following through with its plan.

He was joined by dozens of DP members who held picket signs in the parliament decrying the latest Japanese decision. Some also criticized the current Yoon Suk Yeol government for “sitting on their hands.”

Members of the liberal Democratic Party host a rally at the National Assembly in Seoul on Tuesday to protest the Japanese decision to start releasing the treated radioactive water from Fukushima into the sea starting this Thursday. [KIM HYUN-DONG]

The Yoon government on Tuesday reiterated its position that it found no issues with Japan’s plan in terms of its science and technicalities.

“The Korean government was informed earlier by Japan of its decision, and we stand by our original assessment — that there is no scientific or technical problem with Japan’s plan,” Park said.

Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, right, speaks with the press in Seoul on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

The IAEA released a statement Monday reaffirming its commitment to monitoring the safety of the nuclear power plant's treated water discharge. The agency evaluated the Japanese plan to treat and release the radioactive water over the past two years.

“The report concluded that the approach and activities for this discharge are consistent with relevant international safety standards and would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment,” said the agency in its statement.

It added that Rafael Grossi, the director general of the IAEA, has committed to continue the organization's impartial, independent, and objective safety review of the discharge process.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]