"‘Kkangtong Report’ vs ‘Daeseonbulbok’... IAEA Another Source of Political Conflict"

IAEA Final Report... "Meets International Safety Standards"
Opposition Questions Credibility, Ruling Party Says "Politicizing Science"

As the final report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the last gateway for the ocean discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, Japan, has been released, the ruling and opposition parties continue their dispute over the contaminated water issue.

Earlier, on the 4th (local time), the IAEA reviewed Japan's plan to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and announced a final comprehensive report evaluating that the ocean discharge plan meets international safety standards.

The conclusion is that if the discharge proceeds as planned, the radioactive impact on humans and the environment will be minimal.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The comprehensive report is the result of the IAEA dispatching experts from 11 countries to Japan and inspecting Japan's discharge plan item by item over more than two years. Rafael Grossi, IAEA Director General, explained at a press conference held at the Japan National Press Club on the same day, "We evaluated it over two years," and added, "The suitability is certain, and it is reliable from a technical perspective."

However, controversy over safety continues surrounding the IAEA final report. The opposition criticized it as a "canned report," claiming it failed to verify the safety of Fukushima's contaminated water. On the 4th, the Democratic Party's Countermeasures Committee to Prevent Ocean Dumping of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Contaminated Water held a press conference pointing out ▲insufficient performance verification of the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), ▲violations of general safety guidelines GSG-8 and 9, and ▲lack of review on unplanned leaks during the ocean discharge process.

There are also criticisms that the IAEA is difficult to trust because it is an organization aimed at promoting nuclear power rather than regulating its use. On the 5th, Woo Won-sik, a Democratic Party lawmaker, said on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "It is an organization that guides how to use nuclear power to minimize harm and how to properly handle accidents in each country," and added, "The problem is that the IAEA is not an organization that reviews what is the most appropriate way to safely treat contaminated water."

Woo also pointed out that the IAEA had previously recommended ocean discharge of contaminated water to the Japanese government. He said, "In 2015, the IAEA already recommended that since radioactive contaminated water generated by the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan could contaminate the surroundings, it would be better to discharge it into the ocean in a controlled manner," and added, "So the IAEA has already recommended the ocean discharge plan to Japan, which means it conducted a self-verification."

Members of the ruling party on the National Assembly Education Committee, including Lee Tae-gyu, Seo Byung-soo, and Cho Kyung-tae of the People Power Party, visited Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 4th to address the issue of economic downturn caused by the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, Japan. They are eating sashimi during a lunch meeting. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the other hand, the ruling party stated that their position on contaminated water discharge follows the previous government’s policy and claimed that the Democratic Party’s offensive on contaminated water has political motives.

Seong Il-jong, chairman of the Task Force for Verifying the Protection of Our Seas and a member of the People Power Party, said on the 5th on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' "The Moon Jae-in administration established the stance that if it meets international law and international standards, (discharge of contaminated water) cannot be opposed, and this stance has been inherited as is," and criticized, "Like the past cases of mad cow disease or THAAD, the groups that benefited then now refuse to acknowledge the Yoon Seok-yeol government."

Seong added, "Has the Democratic Party ever invited South Korean scientists to hear their opinions even once at a party meeting?" and said, "As I mentioned, the Yoon Seok-yeol government inherited the Moon Jae-in administration’s stance, and the Democratic Party itself has completely neglected science and politicized and turned it into a political struggle. It is a refusal to accept the presidential election results."

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