Minister Hwang Hee: "I Never Instructed to Avoid Eating Fukushima Food Ingredients"

"Only the Desired Players Eat Lunchboxes," Responding to Japanese Speculation
Cesium Levels Exceed Standards in Fukushima Honey

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Hwang Hee, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, visited the Main Press Center (MPC) of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on the 24th and stated, "I have never instructed (our athletes) not to eat food ingredients from Fukushima Prefecture." When asked by foreign media why lunchboxes were provided to the South Korean team, he said, "We operate a catering center at every Olympics. It is because of the athletes' condition and food preferences, and only the athletes who want to eat lunchboxes do so." He added, "It seems the catering center is being misunderstood."

The catering center is a program that has been operated since the 2004 Athens Olympics. This time, a separate catering center was set up at a hotel near the Olympic Village, providing lunchboxes made with Korean ingredients. Previously, the Japanese government claimed that refusing meals made with ingredients from Fukushima Prefecture was an act of rejection. Tamayo Marukawa, Minister in charge of the Olympics, argued, "There is no need to import domestic agricultural products due to radioactive contamination." Masahisa Sato, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Department of the Liberal Democratic Party, also said, "It is no different from trampling on the feelings of Fukushima residents."

Contrary to their explanations, cesium exceeding the domestic standard (100 becquerels per kilogram) was detected in honey produced in Namie-machi the previous day, measuring between 130 and 160 becquerels. Namie-machi is an area located about 4 km from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.