Korean Inspection Team Dispatched to Japan... Will Concerns Over Contaminated Water Be Alleviated?

Korea-Japan Summit... Agreement to Dispatch Korean Inspection Team
Kyodo News "Korean Inspection Team Expected to Arrive on 23rd"
"Korea Involved to Defuse Controversy Over Contaminated Water Discharge"

President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed at the Korea-Japan summit to dispatch an inspection team composed of Korean experts to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant regarding the contaminated water, drawing attention to whether this will alleviate public anxiety.

With expectations that the discharge of contaminated water could begin as early as this summer, the dispatch of the inspection team is expected to play a certain role in easing concerns. However, there are also criticisms that the Japanese government involved Korea to downplay the controversy over the contaminated water discharge. There are concerns that the inspection team could be used to justify the release of contaminated water from the nuclear plant.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who visited Korea for a 2-day, 1-night schedule, are shaking hands at the expanded Korea-Japan summit held on the 7th at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to Kyodo News, on the 7th, Seiji Kihara, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, announced that "the Korean inspection team is scheduled to arrive on the 23rd" regarding the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant.

This follows the agreement between President Yoon Suk-yeol and Prime Minister Kishida at the Korea-Japan summit to dispatch a Korean expert inspection team for on-site inspection of Fukushima’s contaminated water. After the summit, Prime Minister Kishida stated at a joint press conference, "We are well aware that there are concerns in Korea," and added, "We will not allow any form of discharge that adversely affects the health of our citizens (Japanese citizens) and the marine environment of Korea."

While there is hope that the dispatch of the inspection team will verify the safety of the highly concerning Fukushima nuclear contaminated water, there are also criticisms that it could ultimately mean accepting the discharge.

Yang Yi-won-young, a member of the Democratic Party’s Task Force to Prevent the Marine Discharge of Fukushima Nuclear Contaminated Water, criticized on Facebook on the 7th, "They are already allowing promotional inspections," and said, "Allowing Korean experts to conduct on-site inspections of Fukushima’s radioactive contaminated water is being portrayed as if it is a great favor."

Yang Yi-won-young further argued that to avoid being used by the Japanese government’s strategy to justify the Fukushima contaminated water discharge, three conditions are necessary: ▲ the team should be composed of experts critical of the discharge ▲ frequent inspections and visits should be possible ▲ original data related to the status of Fukushima’s radioactive contaminated water and the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) should be provided.

Professor Yuji Hosaka of Sejong University analyzed that this appears to be a measure considering opposition opinions regarding the contaminated water discharge at the Group of Seven (G7) summit. On the 8th, on CBS Radio’s "Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show," Professor Hosaka said, "It seems that Japan involved Korea to downplay the issue in this way," and added, "Japan is concerned about the global opposition to the contaminated water discharge."

There are also concerns that Fukushima seafood could be imported into Korea once the contaminated water discharge begins. If the Korean inspection team and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conclude in their final report that there is no problem with the discharge, Korea could lose the justification to ban imports of Fukushima seafood.

On the 6th, one day before Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to Korea, members of the civic group Environment and Health Citizens' Center held a press conference and performed in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, opposing the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean. Photo by Yonhap News

The government emphasized that the role of the Fukushima contaminated water inspection team could be limited, stating, "The inspection team will be composed of top experts in the field of safety regulation."

On the 12th, Park Gu-yeon, First Deputy Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said at a press briefing at the Government Seoul Office regarding the dispatch of the inspection team, "We will ensure that our government’s opinions are reflected in the Korea-Japan working-level consultations," and added, "We plan to directly verify the overall operation status of the contaminated water purification and discharge facilities and the capabilities for analyzing radioactive materials, and to identify information necessary for our scientific and technical analysis."

Earlier in March, the government firmly stated that Fukushima seafood would not enter the domestic market.

When Japanese media reported that President Yoon showed a favorable stance toward the marine discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and the import of seafood during his visit to Japan, public anxiety about the possible import of Fukushima seafood increased. In response, the presidential office clarified at the time, "The President’s position is that there can be no compromise regarding the health and safety of the people."

The presidential office also stated at the time, "During the summit, the President clearly conveyed three conditions to Japanese officials: an objective and scientific approach to Fukushima contaminated water, verification in accordance with international standards, and the participation of Korean experts in the process."

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