[Fact Check] Fukushima Nuclear Plant Water, Between Fear and Rumors

Democratic Party Visits Japan to Assess Fukushima Contaminated Water Situation
Ruling Party Reacts, Calling It "Second Mad Cow Disease Rumor Political Propaganda"
National Assembly Legislative Research Office States "Limited Impact Considering Ocean Currents"

Concerns are growing domestically as Japan is reportedly set to discharge contaminated water stored around the Fukushima nuclear accident site into the ocean as early as June this year. There are fears that the inflow of radioactive substances into domestic waters and the resulting decline in seafood consumption could trigger another 'food fear.' Opposition lawmakers have pressured by visiting Fukushima to directly assess the contaminated water situation, but the People Power Party has countered, calling it political agitation that stokes a 'second mad cow disease rumor.' Reports related to the Fukushima contaminated water discharge analyze that, depending on ocean current flows and the timing of discharge, the domestic impact is expected to be limited.

Yoon Jae-gap, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is shaving his head at a rally opposing the import of Fukushima seafood and condemning humiliating diplomacy toward Japan, held on the steps in front of the National Assembly main building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 30th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Is the Fukushima Contaminated Water Discharge Safe?

"The discharge plan should be withdrawn until scientific and verifiable analyses of Fukushima contaminated water are confirmed."

The Democratic Party's Fukushima Contaminated Water Discharge Prevention Response Team argues that Japan's government claims about the safety of Fukushima contaminated water cannot be taken at face value. From June 6 to 8, the party visited the Fukushima discharge site for a 2-night, 3-day schedule to demand accurate data. They emphasize the need to secure reliability regarding safety through domestic verification.

Since 2013, Japan has installed the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) to treat Fukushima contaminated water and has stored it in tanks around the nuclear plant. Radioactive substances in the ocean include cesium, strontium, and tritium, but the problem is that tritium cannot be removed even with ALPS purification. Therefore, the Japanese government plans to dilute tritium with a large volume of seawater before discharge. The key issue is whether the contaminated water purified by ALPS can truly reassure the public.

In February, the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) conducted simulations of tritium dispersion due to Fukushima contaminated water discharge and reported that tritium concentrations would be at a level of one in 100,000, indicating minimal domestic impact. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) also publishes daily measurements of seawater radioactivity near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on its website.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, the Democratic Party points out biases in the simulations. In January this year, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) received raw data from TEPCO on Fukushima contaminated water and held a forum based on their analysis. They criticized that only one-quarter of the total 1,066 contaminated water storage tanks and only 9 out of 64 radioactive nuclides were sampled, and there was no investigation of the high-level sludge accumulated at the bottom of the tanks. Although the focus is on tritium, they argue that analyses of other radioactive nuclides are also necessary.

The response team criticized, "Analyses of radioactive nuclides other than tritium are missing," and "There has been no analysis of radioactive nuclides that could accumulate in the marine ecosystem."

When Will Radioactive Contaminated Water Reach Domestic Waters?

If the radioactive contaminated water is discharged as planned, the timing of its arrival in domestic waters varies by study. According to the National Assembly Research Service, different prediction models and baseline data yield results ranging from 1 year, 4-5 years, to 10 years after discharge.

Simulation data presented at the '2023 Korean Society of Disaster and Safety Academic Conference' predicts that contaminated water will enter the southern waters of Jeju Island 4-5 years after discharge, reaching concentrations around 0.001 Bq/㎥ after 10 years, and will spread throughout the North Pacific Ocean 10 years after discharge. However, it is explained that the spread path and timing of arrival in domestic waters may vary depending on ocean current flow, strength, and discharge timing.

Nonetheless, analyses considering the North Pacific Ocean current circulation system suggest that the impact of Fukushima nuclear plant contaminated water discharge on domestic seafood will be limited, drawing attention.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The National Assembly Research Service explained in 'Impact of Fukushima Nuclear Plant Contaminated Water Ocean Discharge on Fisheries and Countermeasures' that "Considering the spawning, activity, migration routes, ecological characteristics, and fishing areas of major fish species in Korea's coastal fisheries such as mackerel, hairtail, croaker, and blue crab, the possibility of direct impact from contaminated water is low."

The National Institute of Fisheries Science conducts monthly analyses of radioactive substances in seafood from Korea's coastal waters and reports that radioactive substances (cesium and iodine) have not been detected since the Fukushima nuclear accident.

Accordingly, concerns such as "Will we no longer be able to safely eat raw fish in the future?" may be unfounded. Legislative researcher Yu Jebum said, "For farmed seafood mainly consumed as sashimi, considering farming methods, the impact (from Fukushima contaminated water) will be even more limited."

However, if the origin of imported Japanese seafood is disguised and circulated, trust in safety could be damaged, which could cause serious harm to domestic fisheries, so thorough management is expected to be necessary.

According to expert research in 2015, 81% of consumers responded that they reduced seafood consumption after the Fukushima nuclear accident, and in a 2021 consumer civic group survey on seafood safety awareness, 91.2% of respondents said they would reduce seafood consumption, indicating significant distrust. Jeju Island also estimated in last year's independent research that if contaminated water is discharged, annual seafood consumption expenditure in Jeju would decrease by 448.3 billion KRW, and tourism consumption expenditure would decline by about 29% annually on average.

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