Jang Jung-wook, Japanese Professor, "Contaminated Water Inspection Team? I Absolutely Can't Understand"

Korean Inspection Team Likely to Visit Japan on 23-24
"Last Year's Taiwan Inspection Team Also Limited to Briefing"
"No Way to Objectively Verify Radiation Levels"

Professor Jang Jung-wook of Matsuyama University criticized the dispatch of the Fukushima nuclear power plant contaminated water inspection team, calling it an "unbelievable inspection team" and saying, "I don't understand why they are going just to play a supporting role while spending expensive taxes."

Professor Jang made these remarks during an interview on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 15th.

He added, "Last March, an inspection team also came from Taiwan, but it ended at the level of a one-sided briefing," and "According to confirmed reports, after visiting the site, they held discussions with experts in Tokyo and toured some simulation facilities."

Professor Jang said, "(The Japanese government) has been continuously stating that the radioactivity within the Fukushima accident nuclear power plant site has significantly decreased, but radiation measurement surveys requested by residents and civic groups are still not permitted," adding, "As third parties, we cannot verify the objectivity of the (radiation) levels."

On February 2nd, the upstream water tank, which corresponds to the final stage of releasing contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan through an underwater tunnel, has its basic frame made of concrete. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Professor Jang viewed the composition of the inspection team as flawed. He said, "(The inspection team is said to be mainly composed of nuclear experts) but nuclear engineers specialize in issues within reactors, which are a type of boiler, so investigating substances released immediately after the accident is unrelated to their expertise," and asserted, "Experts in mechanical structures, biology, chemistry, and oceanography are the real specialists."

He also conveyed that opposition to the discharge of contaminated water is considerable even within Japan. Professor Jang said, "Local fishermen and fisheries cooperatives are strongly opposing it," and "Although seafood near Fukushima is being consumed, a significant number of people still hesitate to purchase it. It has improved somewhat compared to immediately after the accident, but there are still people who avoid it."

Earlier, South Korea and Japan agreed to conduct a four-day visit by a Korean expert inspection team to the Fukushima nuclear power plant contaminated water site. The Korean expert inspection team's visit to Japan is expected to take place over three nights and four days, including from the 23rd to the 24th.

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