54% of Japanese Voters Say "Fukushima Contaminated Water Ocean Discharge Is Inevitable"

Mainichi Shimbun and Japan Social Research Institute Joint Opinion Poll
Japanese Media "No Need to Oppose If Following IAEA Standards" Focus on Jeong Eui-yong's Remarks

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] A majority of Japanese voters consider the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean as an "unavoidable choice."

According to a telephone survey conducted on the 18th by Mainichi Shimbun in collaboration with the Japan Social Research Center targeting Japanese voters, 54% responded that the plan to filter the Fukushima nuclear plant's contaminated water through a multi-nuclide removal facility before releasing it into the sea is "unavoidable," reported on the 20th.

Meanwhile, 36% expressed the opinion that alternative methods should be considered.

In a poll conducted by Sankei Shimbun and Fuji News Network on the 17th and 18th, 46.7% evaluated the decision to discharge into the ocean positively, while 45.3% evaluated it negatively.

The Japanese government has been promoting the decision on all fronts, stating that the concentration of tritium (삼중수소) will be less than 1/40 of the domestic standard and less than 1/7 of the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water standard, asserting that there is no problem with the decision. Within Japan, public opinion is also predominantly in favor.

However, farmers and fishermen in Fukushima Prefecture continue to oppose the ocean discharge decision.

Meanwhile, Japanese media have focused on the fact that Jeong Eui-yong, South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs, attending the National Assembly's government questioning session on the 19th, stated regarding the contaminated water discharge, "If it follows appropriate procedures in accordance with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards, there is no particular reason to oppose it."

Asahi Shimbun reported on the 20th that Minister Jeong had previously expressed concerns about the contaminated water issue and requested cooperation from John Kerry, the US President's Special Envoy for Climate, during his visit to South Korea. However, Kerry responded that "the Japanese government made a transparent decision." The report analyzed that Minister Jeong's remarks in the National Assembly were influenced by the US stance.