Japan's Nuclear Wastewater Discharge... Ruling Party: "No Consultation with Closest Neighbor... Shameless Act"

Cancellation of Ocean Discharge Decision Needed
Even if Contaminated Water is Diluted,
Total Amount of Radioactive Substances Remains the Same

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Choi Ji-eun, the international spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, urged on the 13th, "The Japanese government must cancel its decision to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean." Spokesperson Choi directly criticized, "Forcing the discharge of contaminated water into the ocean without consulting the closest neighboring country, South Korea, is a shameless act."

On the same day, the Japanese government decided at a cabinet meeting held in the morning on the "Basic Policy on the Disposal of Treated Water (Contaminated Water)," which includes plans to discharge contaminated water stored in tanks at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean. Since procedures such as the construction of discharge facilities and approval from the Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan remain, the actual discharge is expected to occur about two years later. Once the discharge begins, it will continue over 20 to 30 years until 2041?2051, the timeframe set by the Japanese government for the completion of the decommissioning work.

In a statement, Spokesperson Choi criticized, "The discharge of contaminated water from the nuclear power plant into the ocean can affect the lives and safety not only of the Japanese people but also of neighboring countries. Despite concerns, Japan unilaterally decided to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean." He added, "Since it poses risks to the safety of neighboring countries and the marine environment, many Japanese fishermen, experts, and citizens oppose this. We strongly condemn the Japanese government's discharge of contaminated water into the ocean."

Spokesperson Choi stated, "Even if radioactive contaminated water is diluted, the total amount of radioactive substances discharged into the sea does not change," and "Marine life in the waters near Japan, as well as fish species traveling along ocean currents, could be affected by radiation." He emphasized, "The Japanese government must immediately cancel its decision to discharge contaminated water into the ocean. Furthermore, we urge transparency and verification throughout the entire contaminated water treatment process."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.