Government: "Japan's Nuclear Wastewater Treatment Information Still Insufficient... Korean Government Has Right to Request Information"

Comparison with Japan's Wolsong Nuclear Wastewater Treatment Called "Unreasonable"
"Discussing with IAEA and Neighboring Countries Regarding Japan's Contaminated Water Treatment"

Representatives from the Korean Federation for Environmental Movements held a campaign launch ceremony on the 9th at Peace Road in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul, opposing the ocean discharge of radioactive wastewater from Fukushima, Japan. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The government has emphasized the need for transparent information sharing and verification with the Japanese government as well as the international community, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), regarding Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant contaminated water treatment method. However, it stated that relevant information is still insufficient.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on the 7th in a meeting with reporters, "We have requested information sharing from the Japanese government on how they plan to discharge the contaminated water and whether the plan will be properly implemented, and we are discussing with various parties how to verify it once a decision is made," pointing out this issue.

Furthermore, the government emphasized that it has the right to request information to determine whether Japan's plan to discharge contaminated water is safe. The Korean government’s actions are based on rights under international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, "The government is requesting information sharing from the Japanese government and the IAEA regarding the implementation plan and is consulting with the Japanese government to secure additional information," adding, "Our government has the right to request information to determine whether Japan's contaminated water treatment plan is safe." The government opposes any aspects that do not comply with international law, even considering that the Fukushima contaminated water treatment is a sovereign matter of the Japanese government.

So far, the Korean government has raised strong concerns about Japan's contaminated water treatment and shared them with the international community. However, other countries are not as proactive as Korea. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs official explained, "There is also a scientific perspective that views Japan's discharge plan as reasonable," adding, "This is based on the premise that the health and environmental impacts are below each country's standards."

The Japanese government is known to have been promoting a plan to discharge the nuclear power plant contaminated water purified by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) into the ocean since the summer of 2022. However, even after purification by ALPS, tritium and radioactive carbon (C14) remain. The government judges that information related to this is still insufficient and plans to continue consultations with the Japanese government to obtain relevant information. Regarding the comparison with Korea's Wolseong nuclear power plant water discharge into the ocean, which Japan claims, the government dismissed it as an "unreasonable comparison."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs official viewed the possibility of international litigation related to Japan's contaminated water treatment as low. He said, "Although lawsuits related to construction, understanding, and trade have been filed, there have been no lawsuits related to international law," adding, "The decision on filing lawsuits must comprehensively consider legal, political, and diplomatic judgments."

Meanwhile, some speculate that there is still time before the Japanese government decides on the contaminated water treatment method. Due to decreased rainfall, the saturation point of storage tanks is estimated to be in spring 2023 rather than summer 2022, and the equipment preparation period could be reduced to about one and a half years if pursued by the private sector. Given that public opinion in Japan is sharply divided between support and opposition, the decision may be delayed.

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