Ministry of Foreign Affairs "Democratic Party's Joint Letter on Japan Fukushima Contaminated Water, Regret"

Democratic Party Urges Pacific Island Nations to Unite Against Japan's Contaminated Water
"Inconsistent with the Unity of National Diplomatic Actions"

On the 25th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed regret regarding the Democratic Party of Korea's letter urging solidarity on the issue of the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean, sent to Pacific Island countries (Taedoguk), stating that it "does not help with objective verification and judgment."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a notice, "The Democratic Party's letter disregards the joint efforts of the international community, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as our own safety assessment efforts, without presenting any scientific evidence."

The Ministry added, "This disregards the inherent authority of the executive branch under the Constitution at the external level, and it is regrettable as it does not align with the unity of national diplomatic actions."

The Ministry emphasized that the government has consistently declared its position that "the health and safety of the people must be the top priority, and the contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant must be treated in a scientifically and objectively verified safe manner, in accordance with international law and standards."

To uphold this position, the government has actively cooperated with Taedoguk and the IAEA, and particularly confirmed cooperation with Taedoguk through the Korea-Taedoguk summit joint declaration at the end of last month.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Going forward, the government plans to comprehensively and objectively assess the verification results from the internationally recognized IAEA, as well as the conclusions from our own ongoing scientific and technical analyses, and take necessary responses and cooperation accordingly."