IAEA Director General: "Decades of On-Site Inspections" Opposition Party: "If It's Safe, Drink It, Japan"

Grossi "Reviewing procedures to ensure compliance with safety standards"
Democratic Party "Cannot trust the report... Postpone speculation"

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), met with members of the Democratic Party of Korea at the National Assembly on the morning of the 9th and stated, "The IAEA plans to be stationed in Japan to review whether the discharge plan is properly followed," adding, "We will be stationed there for years, even decades, to review all aspects of the procedures and functions to ensure that the contaminated water discharge meets international safety standards."

On the same day, Director General Grossi met with members of the Democratic Party's 'Countermeasure Committee to Prevent the Ocean Dumping of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Contaminated Water' at the National Assembly and made these remarks. The IAEA delivered its final report to Japan on the 4th, stating that there are no issues with the contaminated water discharge.

Wi Seong-gon, Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea's Countermeasures Committee to Prevent the Ocean Dumping of Fukushima Nuclear Wastewater, is greeting before meeting with Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the morning of July 9, 2023. Photo by Yonhap News Agency.

Director General Grossi said, "My attitude regarding this issue is openness and respect," and added, "I would like to reiterate that our conclusion is that the method complies with international safety standards." He continued, "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to explain. If there are any questions, I am always ready to respond. I will provide explanations on any necessary aspects of our future activities at any time."

In response, Wi Seong-gon, the head of the Democratic Party's countermeasure committee, expressed serious concerns, saying, "As a neighboring country sharing the sea with Japan, we are deeply worried about 1.33 million tons being discharged into the sea over more than 30 years," and pointed out, "85% of the South Korean public opposes the ocean dumping of Fukushima nuclear power plant contaminated water."

He further stated, "We deeply regret the conclusion that the contaminated water discharge plan complies with international safety standards," emphasizing, "We cannot help but point out the inadequacies of the IAEA's final report."

Wi said, "The IAEA report did not verify the performance of the multi-nuclide removal facility, nor did it review the long-term impact of the contaminated water discharge on the marine ecosystem." He also pointed out that since the contaminated water comes from the accident-stricken nuclear power plant, it effectively qualifies as nuclear waste.

He added, "The countermeasure committee officially requests that Japan postpone the dumping of contaminated water and consider alternative options with the international community," and stated, "Other alternatives can be developed."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Opposing the contaminated water discharge and currently on a hunger strike, Representative Woo Won-shik said, "I was very concerned when Director General Grossi said in a media interview that nuclear contaminated water can be drunk and one can swim in it," and questioned, "If he is so confident that it is safe, why not use it as drinking water in Japan, a country facing water shortages, or for agricultural or industrial purposes instead of dumping it into the sea?"

Representative Woo criticized, "Drawing conclusions without investigating the impact of ocean discharge on neighboring countries is self-verification and a Japan-tailored investigation."

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