Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries "Special Crackdown on Seafood Origin, Strengthening Private Surveillance Functions"

Emergency Public-Private Council Held on Decision to Release Fukushima Nuclear Plant Contaminated Water

As the Japanese government decided to discharge a large amount of radioactive contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident into the sea, concerns and worries among our citizens have continued. On the 14th, a store at Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul displayed the origin of its products. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 16th that it will hold an emergency online public-private consultative meeting to further strengthen the crackdown on the origin of seafood in response to Japan's decision to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean.

The meeting will be held online at the Government Sejong Complex. About 20 people, including consumer groups, distribution industry representatives, experts, and government policy officials, are expected to attend.

Last month, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries formed the "Public-Private Consultative Council for Establishing Order in Seafood Distribution" together with distribution companies and consumer groups. This meeting is the second gathering of the consultative council.

At this meeting, the Ministry will discuss plans to conduct a special crackdown on the origin of seafood within this month. They will also discuss ways to strengthen the participation and role of the private sector, such as consumer groups, during the inspection process.

Kim Jun-seok, Director of Fisheries Policy at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "Japan's decision to discharge contaminated water into the ocean is a hasty measure taken without sufficient consultation with our country, the closest neighboring nation, and is absolutely unacceptable."

He added, "Please focus all efforts to ensure that no harm comes to the health of our people by maintaining a cooperative system among origin inspection agencies and further strengthening private monitoring functions centered on consumer groups."