South Korea on Monday expressed concern about Japan’s alleged decision to release radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.
The South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement that the Japanese government is scheduled to hold a meeting on Tuesday.
It said the meeting would decide on the plans of discharging the nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima power plant into the Pacific Ocean.
The statement noted that the South Korean government was concerned about the plan pending decision by the Japanese government.
According to the ministry, whatever decisions the government makes can directly and indirectly affect the safety of health of the South Korean people and the surrounding environments.
The ministry said it had emphasised to the Japanese side the need for the decision to be made with a transparent disclosure of relevant information and consultations with neighbouring countries.
If the Japanese side decides to dump the contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean without sufficient consultations, it would be hard for South Korea to accept it, the ministry noted.
The ministry said South Korea would make it a top priority to ensure the safety of health of the South Korean people.
It said it would protect the adjacent environments by greatly expanding the detection of radiation and strengthening the relevant monitoring.
It also added that South Korea would pay close attention to Japan’s nuclear wastewater disposal decision and relevant procedures.
The ministry said it would strengthen cooperation with the international community such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the issue. (Xinhua/NAN)
