Dispatch of Japanese Fukushima Inspection Team, Why Are There Concerns About Being a Mere Figurehead?

Japan says "Korean inspection team does not conduct safety evaluation"
"Inspection without sample collection gives Japan a free pass"

As the Korean inspection team for the Fukushima nuclear power plant contaminated water is scheduled to visit Japan on the 23rd, controversy continues over the effectiveness of the verification. It is reported that the team's activities will be limited to on-site confirmation without collecting samples of the contaminated water.

The Korean inspection team plans to conduct inspection activities in Japan from the 23rd to the 24th regarding the plan to release contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean. However, criticism is emerging that the team will effectively give the Japanese government a free pass on the discharge of contaminated water, as it is known that they will not separately collect samples of the contaminated water, which is key to safety review.

The core of the criticism is that this inspection contradicts the "scientific, objective verification" mentioned by President Yoon.

At the joint press conference of the Korea-Japan summit on the 7th, President Yoon said, "Our two leaders agreed to dispatch a Korean expert inspection team to Fukushima contaminated water during this summit," adding, "I hope meaningful measures will be taken considering the demand of our people that scientific, objective verification must be conducted."

However, the Japanese government has stated that the Korean inspection team will not evaluate or confirm the safety of the contaminated water. On the 9th, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura said at a press conference that while he expects the expert inspection to deepen understanding in Korea about the safety of the contaminated water discharge, the Korean inspection team will not evaluate or confirm the safety of the contaminated water.

In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' press release on the 12th, the visit by the Korean inspection team is named not as a "verification" or "inspection" but as a "briefing session." This contradicts the Korean government's position of scientifically verifying the safety of the contaminated water.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The government argues that since Dr. Kim Hong-seok of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) is included in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) contaminated water safety verification task force (TF), the Korean government is already effectively participating in the analysis process. Furthermore, if the Korean inspection team were to collect samples separately, it could be seen as undermining the credibility of the international organization, making it undesirable.

At a briefing on the 12th, First Vice Minister of State Park Gu-yeon affirmed, "(The Japanese side's) terminology is diplomatic, and it is just called an inspection," adding, "Of course, various requests for data to judge safety on-site, questions, and facility confirmations will naturally be conducted." Park emphasized, "The purpose of the inspection activities is to review safety throughout the entire ocean discharge process."

However, nuclear policy expert Professor Jang Jung-wook of Matsuyama University’s Department of Economics downplayed the dispatch of the inspection team, saying, "I don't understand why we are going as a mere side act while spending expensive taxes."

On the 15th, on MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus," Professor Jang said, "(The Japanese government) keeps saying that the radioactivity at the Fukushima accident nuclear power plant site has greatly decreased, but radiation measurement surveys demanded by residents and civic groups are still not allowed," adding, "As third parties, we cannot confirm the objectivity of the radiation levels."

He also pointed out that the Taiwanese inspection team that visited Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant last March only conducted an on-site tour. Professor Jang said, "The Taiwanese inspection team came, but it ended at a one-sided briefing level," adding, "According to what has been confirmed, after seeing the site, they discussed with experts in Tokyo and toured some simulation facilities."

The Democratic Party demands the suspension of the inspection team dispatch, arguing that it only legitimizes the discharge of contaminated water. On the 14th, Chief Spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung said at a National Assembly briefing, "Only the visit period has been set, but there seems to be no progress on safety measures such as collecting contaminated water samples and simulation procedures until just before the discharge," adding, "Stop dispatching the Fukushima inspection team that cannot conduct proper verification immediately."

Democratic Party lawmaker Jung Chung-rae also criticized the dispatch of the Korean expert inspection team in an interview on the 15th with the YouTube broadcast "Kim Eo-jun's Humility is Difficult News Factory," saying, "Why go as a mere side act? It’s better not to go." He pointedly criticized the current government, saying, "(The government says) 'only national interest,' but is that Korean national interest or Japanese national interest?" and added, "It looks like they are going to represent the interests of the U.S. and Japan now."

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