IAEA Secretary-General: "Technical Feasibility of Nuclear Plant Contaminated Water Ocean Discharge".. Again Supporting Japanese Government Policy

Controversy Expected Over Biased Stance in International Community... "International Monitoring Team to Be Dispatched Immediately Upon Japanese Government's Request"
Foreign Ministry "Continuously Emphasizing Transparent Information Sharing and Communication with International Community... Closely Monitoring Situation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Amid starkly opposing positions between the South Korean and Japanese governments regarding the release of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who has expressed support for the Japanese government’s policy, has once again stated that the ocean discharge of contaminated water is "technically feasible," sparking controversy.

On the 21st, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, "The government has continuously emphasized transparent information sharing and communication with the international community regarding the disposal of contaminated water from the nuclear power plant to the Japanese government," adding, "We will continue to closely monitor Japan’s activities related to the disposal of contaminated water, prioritizing the health and safety of our citizens." The Japanese government has been promoting a plan to discharge contaminated water purified by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) into the ocean since the summer of 2022. However, even after purification with ALPS, tritium and radioactive carbon (C14) remain, causing significant concern among neighboring countries, including South Korea.

The controversial remarks were made during an interview on the 19th (local time) with Japan’s Kyodo News at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Director General Grossi responded to questions regarding the treatment of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which contains tritium, by saying, "We are consulting with the Japanese side," and "If disposal is decided, we are willing to immediately dispatch an international monitoring team upon request." He particularly assessed that the ocean discharge of contaminated water containing tritium is "technically feasible."

He had previously expressed support for the Japanese government’s push for ocean discharge of contaminated water in February. At a press conference held after visiting the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, he claimed, "Technically, it complies with international practices and is routinely carried out at nuclear power plants worldwide when there is no emergency," which intensified the controversy.

As the IAEA Director General once again voiced support for the Japanese government’s position, concerns have been raised about a biased approach favoring Japan’s policy. In November, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a Korea-IAEA high-level policy consultation and requested the IAEA to play an active role in verifying the transparency and safety of Japan’s contaminated water disposal.

Meanwhile, conscious of domestic opposition in Japan, the Japanese government postponed the final decision on contaminated water disposal, originally scheduled for the end of October, and continues a comprehensive campaign, including separately allocating a promotional budget of 500 million yen related to the issue.

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