[The Editors' Verdict] Fukushima Political Strife: Is Next Year's General Election the Only Focus?

Opposition Party Launches Group Action Against Japan's Contaminated Water Discharge
Domestic Opposition Should Be Leveraged in Negotiations with Japan
Beware of Rumors and Political Strife That Hinder Rational Debate

The political controversy over the 'Fukushima contaminated water' has intensified. The final report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which states that the Japanese government's plan to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean meets international safety standards, acted as a catalyst, prompting opposition parties to take collective action. Woo Won-sik, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Lee Jeong-mi, leader of the Justice Party, have been on a hunger strike opposing the discharge for 11 days, while Democratic Party members Lee Soo-jin and Kim Young-jin recently joined the solidarity hunger strike. Starting from the evening of the 6th, the Democratic Party began an overnight sit-in at the Rotunda Hall of the National Assembly main building, followed by outdoor rallies, protest visits to Japan, and efforts to build solidarity with Pacific neighboring countries, engaging in a determined struggle.

Given that more than eight out of ten South Korean citizens express concern about the Fukushima contaminated water discharge plan in successive opinion polls, the opposition's collective backlash is understandable. It would be most in the national interest if the Japanese government refrained from discharging the contaminated water. However, the reality is that we have no means to prevent the Japanese government from proceeding with the discharge. Therefore, domestic public opinion opposing the Fukushima contaminated water discharge should be leveraged as a bargaining tool for our government to demand stricter safety inspections during the discharge process.

What is worrisome is the indiscriminate spread of rumors during the opposition to the Fukushima contaminated water discharge. Before the IAEA's final report was announced, suspicions spread on YouTube that the Japanese government had given the IAEA a 'political donation' exceeding one million euros and had pre-secured a conclusion of safety. The opposition parties labeled the IAEA final report a "political report" even before its release. Some questioned the credibility of the final report, citing that Japan is the third-largest contributor to the IAEA budget worldwide. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, as of 2021, the United States contributed the most to the IAEA budget at 25.25%, followed by China at 11.15%. China is one of the strongest opponents of Japan's plan to discharge contaminated water into the ocean, stating, "The Pacific Ocean is not Japan's sewer."

Another problem is the use of abusive language that obstructs productive discussions related to the contaminated water discharge. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, called a British nuclear science scholar a "quack scientist" at a rally condemning the Fukushima contaminated water discharge held at Bupyeong Station in Incheon on the 17th of last month. This was criticism of Professor Wade Allison, Emeritus Professor at the University of Oxford, who, at a meeting invited by the People Power Party, claimed, "If given the chance, I could drink not just one liter but ten times that amount of Fukushima water." The safety verification of Fukushima contaminated water is a matter of science, and labeling an expert as a 'quack' undermines scientific verification.

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, criticized the Democratic Party's disparagement of the IAEA final report as a "hollow report" the day before, calling it "a predetermined answer (dapjeongneo) agitation aimed at overthrowing the Yoon Seok-yeol administration." He likened the opposition's resistance to the contaminated water to the so-called 'mad cow disease incident' in 2008, when the then-opposition Democratic Party and progressive civic groups held large-scale protests against the import of U.S. beef for over three months, demanding regime change. He dismissed the opposition's stance as a "post-election refusal conspiracy."

The most nonsensical act was the People Power Party leadership's 'Noryangjin raw fish mukbang' organized last month to promote seafood consumption by standing committees. At this event, intended to block the opposition's Fukushima rumors, some members showcased 'aquarium water mukbang' to emphasize seawater safety. The Japanese government has not even started discharging contaminated water yet, but there are talks that this was an 'overreaction' due to anticipated difficulties in next year's candidate nominations. At this point, there is no rational debate between the ruling and opposition parties for verifying the safety of Fukushima contaminated water; only political strife aimed at next year's election. However, the political sphere should remember that in past elections, the public has always delivered wise judgments.