Lee So-young: "Is Treating the IAEA as the Gospel for 'Nuclear Power Promotion'? Extremely Dangerous"

Democratic Party Floor Spokesperson in MBC Radio Interview
"IAEA is Not an Environmental Health Organization"

Lee So-young, the floor spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 26th criticized the government and ruling party for labeling the opposition's criticism of contaminated water discharge as "rumors," saying, "The government is categorizing everyone who says this issue could be dangerous as spreading rumors."

Lee, appearing on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' said, "There are many uncertainties regarding the Fukushima contaminated water discharge issue, so a scientific attitude means humbly acknowledging the possibility that it could be dangerous."

She added, "They are testing seawater along the Fukushima coast, but you have probably rarely heard news that radiation levels came out high there," explaining, "This rarely shows up in seawater tests. The Japanese government has used this as a basis to claim Fukushima is safe and has demanded the lifting of seafood bans."

She continued, "The ocean is such a vast area that measuring only a part of it to assess the risk of radioactive materials that could affect through various pathways is very difficult," and said, "There are probably far more contaminants in the sediment along the Fukushima coast where radiation has accumulated than in the seawater, and these have likely been concentrated in Fukushima-caught rockfish."

Lee So-young, the floor spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Fukushima Contaminated Water Daily Question Briefing held at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 19th. From left: Floor Spokesperson Lee, Floor Leader Park Kwang-on, and Deputy Head of the Fukushima Contaminated Water Task Force Song Ki-ho.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee argued, "It is very dangerous to blindly trust the final report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as if it were the ultimate authority." She said, "The IAEA is the International Atomic Energy Agency. It is not originally an organization that oversees environment and health, but one aimed at promoting and utilizing nuclear energy advantages. To my knowledge, the IAEA has never made a decision stating 'radioactive material should not be released because it could cause environmental damage.'"

Regarding the claim by Seong Il-jong, a member of the People Power Party, that "the current government and ruling party's stance on contaminated water discharge inherits the policy of the previous Moon Jae-in administration," Lee rebutted, calling it a "wrong claim." She countered, "How is it the same attitude as the Moon Jae-in government when every day experts and officials say 'It's safe, don't worry,' and even the Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Welfare come out saying 'You can drink the contaminated water,' 'I will drink it too'?"

Lee added, "During the Moon Jae-in administration, public concerns about this issue were conveyed to Japan, efforts were made to properly resolve the problem, and there was a policy of allowing dissent and raising issues, fostering a discussion-oriented approach."

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