Yoon: "Fukushima Contaminated Water, Safety of All Humanity is Top Priority... Must Be Handled Transparently" (Update)

Yoon "Issue of Contaminated Water Discharge Not Raised"
Government Reaffirms Policy... "Trust in IAEA Inspection Results"

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 18th (local time) regarding the issue of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, "We trust the inspection results of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has international credibility," and added, "It must be handled through a transparent process based on science."

At a joint press conference following the Korea-US-Japan summit held at Camp David near Washington DC, President Yoon said about the Japanese government's plan to discharge contaminated water, "The health and safety of the peoples of the three countries and all humanity must be the top priority."

President Yoon Suk-yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a joint press conference of the South Korea-U.S.-Japan leaders on the 18th (local time) at Camp David, the U.S. presidential retreat near Washington, DC.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

First, President Yoon responded that "the issue of discharging contaminated water was not on the agenda," but said, "However, I will give my remarks in response to the question you raised," mentioning, "If the Fukushima contaminated water has any impact, it could affect not only the three countries but also the peoples of many countries as it circulates through the Pacific."

He then reaffirmed the government's basic policy. President Yoon said, "Therefore, the health and safety of the peoples of the three countries and all humanity must be given the highest priority," and added, "The treatment of contaminated water must be handled through a transparent process based on science. We trust the inspection results of the IAEA, which has international credibility."

On the same day, President Yoon held a Korea-Japan summit with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio for about 20 minutes and evaluated that cooperation between the two countries is progressing rapidly in various fields, supported by the improvement of Korea-Japan relations. At this meeting, the two leaders agreed on promoting cooperation among Korea, the US, and Japan, as well as between Korea and Japan, to respond to the advancing North Korean nuclear and missile threats. Furthermore, they agreed to closely coordinate among Korea, the US, and Japan to implement the UN Security Council resolutions related to North Korea.

Cooperation in the economic and financial sectors was also discussed. The two leaders plan to activate consultation channels more actively, including the resumption of the high-level economic talks in the second half of the year, aiming to achieve concrete results that the peoples of both countries can feel in a wide range of areas such as economy, finance, energy, human exchange, and education.