Abe: "Fukushima Contaminated Water Disposal to Be Finalized as Soon as Possible"

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his intention to finalize the disposal method for radioactive contaminated water generated at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant as quickly as possible.

In an interview with a Fukushima local newspaper published on the 10th, Prime Minister Abe said regarding the disposal method of the contaminated water, "There is little time to spend until the decision is made," and "I want to decide on the disposal policy as swiftly as possible." Abe gave the interview to Minyu Newspaper on the 9th, two days before the 9th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake that caused the explosion accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Currently, at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, contaminated water is increasing as rainwater and groundwater mix into the circulating cooling water used to cool the molten nuclear fuel inside the reactors that exploded during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The Japanese government hopes to treat the contaminated water by lowering the contamination concentration to meet international standards and then discharge it into the Pacific Ocean.

However, regarding the ocean discharge plan, not only local residents but also neighboring countries such as South Korea strongly oppose it, and the specific method and timing are being weighed carefully.

In this interview, Prime Minister Abe stated that regarding whether to set the timing for deciding the disposal policy considering the Tokyo Olympics scheduled to open in July, he intends to make an early decision regardless of the Olympic schedule, taking into account the storage tank capacity and a two-year preparation period.

Abe also said, "There must be no occurrence of rumor damage about what form the disposal method will take," and "We will provide related information based on scientific knowledge while gaining international cooperation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.