The South Korean parliament passed a resolution on Tuesday condemning Japan's plan to release waste water from the damaged Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant into the ocean
SEOUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th June, 2021) The South Korean parliament passed a resolution on Tuesday condemning Japan's plan to release waste water from the damaged Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant into the ocean.
"The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea strongly condemns the Japanese government's unilateral decision to release Fukushima's contaminated radioactive wastewater into the sea and urges the immediate withdrawal of the decision," the resolution said, as cited by Yonhap.
Seoul has further urged Tokyo to find a way to resolve the radioactive waste water issue in close consultations with neighboring countries, including South Korea. The resolution also called for a thorough verification of the safety measures taken by the Japanese government and suggested including South Korea in the international nuclear watchdog's joint investigation team to ensure transparency of the water treatment process.
Seoul initially strongly opposed Tokyo's decision to release treated radioactive water from Fukushima into the sea, calling it "unacceptable." However, later South Korea changed its stance, saying that it had no reason to object if the procedure meets IAEA standards.
In mid-April, Japan announced plans to start discharging treated waste water from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean in 2023. The decision triggered backlash from fishermen and neighboring countries over safety concerns.
Tokyo has since maintained that the treated water from Fukushima meets international safety standards and the plan adheres to standard practices of nuclear power plants operations around the world.
