Kim Dong-yeon: "Fukushima Contaminated Water Is a Joint Product of Japan's Irresponsibility and South Korean Government's Cooperation"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is announcing the 'Position on the Discharge of Fukushima Contaminated Water' at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government briefing room on the 23rd.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon urged on the 24th, ahead of the scheduled discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, Japan, "The Japanese government must immediately withdraw its discharge plan, which goes against conscience and morality." He also called on the South Korean government, stating, "The government should demand an immediate withdrawal from Japan and work for the Republic of Korea, not Japan."

At a press briefing on the 23rd at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government briefing room regarding the Fukushima contaminated water discharge, Governor Kim said, "Japan plans to start discharging contaminated water from tomorrow (the 24th)," and added, "As the governor responsible for the lives and safety of 14 million Gyeonggi residents, I strongly condemn the Japanese government's irresponsible decision."

He continued, "The discharge of contaminated water causes anxiety about public health and safety, and furthermore leads to a decline in seafood consumption, posing a significant threat to the livelihoods of fishermen and small business owners," expressing concern that "it is difficult to even predict the adverse effects it may have on the marine ecosystem, which is already suffering from climate change, over the next 30 to 40 years."

He pointed out, "The issue of contaminated water discharge is not about science or rumors but about responsibility and irresponsibility toward the future of humanity," adding, "Scientific verification still remains controversial."

He also questioned, "There are many uncertainties ahead, and it is unclear how the radioactive contaminated water discharged over 30 to 40 years will adversely affect the marine ecosystem," and asked, "Who will be responsible for the safety of the sea 10 years from now?"

Furthermore, he lamented, "We have to use our taxes to prepare countermeasures for another country's issue. If contaminated water is discharged, local governments and the central government must establish various measures through supplementary budgets," and expressed disbelief, saying, "I cannot understand why we should use taxpayers' money for the discharge of contaminated water to save Japan's budget."

He also stated, "(This contaminated water discharge) is causing social safety issues beyond safety and health," and reported, "Several seafood merchants I recently met said their sales have dropped by more than 70% even before the discharge."

In particular, he expressed concern that "(such) a sharp decline in domestic consumption will further worsen the economic recession and create another source of anxiety in the already difficult economy," adding, "Moreover, the discharge of contaminated water is intensifying social conflicts and confusion."

Governor Kim also criticized the current government's response.

He said, "The presidential office dismissed public concerns about the contaminated water discharge as rumors and reportedly produced a safety promotional video about the discharge with its own budget," and lamented, "The government has effectively acknowledged the discharge by stating there are no scientific or technical problems."

He added, "The announcement of the Fukushima contaminated water discharge is a joint product of the Japanese government's irresponsibility and the South Korean government's complicity, according to Greenpeace's statement," and said, "It makes me feel not only ashamed but also angry, thinking that it might be going beyond complicity to cooperation."

Finally, Governor Kim quoted a line from the movie Gwoemul (The Host), saying, "In the movie, there is a line, 'The Han River is very wide.' It is said while dumping dangerous chemicals, and there is a commonality between the scene of dumping harmful chemicals into the Han River and the discharge of Fukushima contaminated water," expressing concern that "the easiest and least costly method was chosen. However, the choice to discharge Fukushima contaminated water into the sea may create a monster 20 or 30 years from now."