Sung Il-jong: "Opposition profits from mad cow disease and THAAD... Discharge of contaminated water is a battle between science and rumors"

Seong Il-jong, People Power Party Lawmaker, SBS Radio Interview
"Never Supported Yoon Government's Contaminated Water Discharge"

Regarding the comprehensive report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stating that the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant's contaminated water discharge plan complies with international safety standards, Seong Il-jong, a member of the People Power Party, raised his voice against the opposition party that questioned the report's credibility by calling it a "canned report," saying, "The Moon Jae-in administration established the principle that if it meets international law and international standards, (the contaminated water discharge) cannot be opposed, and this principle has been carried forward as is."

Seong, chairman of the party's Our Sea Protection Verification Task Force (TF), appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' on the 5th and said, "(During the Moon Jae-in administration) Ministers Jeong Eui-yong and Kang Kyung-hwa said that since this was done within Japan's sovereign territory, there was nothing we could do," adding, "Minister Jeong Eui-yong stated the principle that if it complies with international law and IAEA standards, we cannot oppose it."

On the 28th, at the National Assembly, Seong Il-jong, the TF chairman of the People Power Party's "Protecting Our Sea Verification TF - Fukushima Rumor Response and Fishermen Protection Measures Meeting," is speaking. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

He said, "When has the Yoon Seok-yeol administration ever approved this (contaminated water discharge)? We have never approved the discharge," and added, "(By inheriting the Moon Jae-in administration's principle) we sent inspection teams to verify if it meets the standards, cooperated with the IAEA, exchanged data with Japan, didn't we? But now, this is a battle between science and rumors."

Regarding the Democratic Party, which is focusing its efforts on blocking the contaminated water discharge, he pointed out that there is a political motive. Seong criticized, "The forces that benefited from past issues like mad cow disease or THAAD now refuse to acknowledge the Yoon Seok-yeol administration."

Seong said, "Because of that, they are coming out with anti-Japanese sentiment based on nuclear fear, but which country's politicians have ever fasted in front of scientific proof? Our people have a learning effect now, so they will never be deceived by such things."

On concerns that imports of Fukushima seafood might resume, he explained, "The president has said that imports will not resume until the public can feel safe, whether it takes 10 years or 30 years, and we have also continuously conveyed this."

Seong said, "Because the atomic number and mass are heavy in the waters off Fukushima, radioactive cesium settles there, and contaminated fish come from that area. The government knows this precisely, so you can trust that we will not resume imports until the public feels safe."

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