The 'Japanese Contaminated Water' Becomes the Biggest Obstacle in the Washington Talks...Concerns Over Justification for Discharge Accumulate

Government Maintains Position Opposing
Discharge of Japanese Contaminated Water Not Handled by International Standards
Possibility Remains That Japanese Prime Minister Kishida's Stance May Be Raised Even If Not on the Agenda

The issue of Japan's contaminated water discharge is emerging as the biggest obstacle in the South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit.

Japan plans to explain this issue to the South Korean and U.S. leaders at the trilateral summit to be held on the 18th (local time) at Camp David in Washington, U.S., and then proceed with the discharge of contaminated water. The timing is interpreted as an attempt to leverage the trilateral meeting to legitimize the discharge of contaminated water.

However, the Camp David summit is intended to discuss the trilateral Indo-Pacific strategy and to strengthen security and economic cooperation against China and North Korea. There are criticisms that mentioning contaminated water does not fit the nature of the summit. Simply mentioning the contaminated water by Japan could create an impression that South Korea and the U.S. tacitly accept it. It could be seen as a prelude to tacit understanding or support for the safety of the contaminated water.

Government maintains stance of “Opposition to Japan’s discharge of contaminated water not treated according to international standards”

Our government is cautious about this. The discharge of contaminated water is not an issue to be discussed and shared responsibility for at the trilateral meeting. The focus of the first-ever South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit held solely at Camp David is to jointly respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and to strengthen trilateral cooperation. Linking a highly controversial issue could dilute the purpose of the summit.

At the Fukushima contaminated water briefing held on the 9th, Yoon Hyun-soo, Director of the Climate Environment Science Diplomacy Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to reports by Japan’s Jiji Press that South Korea seemed to accept the discharge plan by saying, “It appears to be Jiji Press’s interpretation. The government’s position is different.” Park Sung-hoon, Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, also reiterated the government’s stance, stating, “The government opposes Japan’s discharge of contaminated water that is not treated according to international standards and procedures.”

North Korea nuclear threat and economic security are core agenda... Purpose diluted if contaminated water issue arises

Originally, this summit was expected to focus on raising the level of trilateral security cooperation in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and on countering China. Specifically, it was planned to include ▲responses to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and ▲economic security and cooperation in key regions, with detailed coordination underway.

Above all, if the trilateral summit creates a scenario that legitimizes the discharge of contaminated water, the motivation to participate in the scientific verification process of the water’s safety in the future will weaken. Although most experts agree scientifically that it is safe, public opposition in South Korea, the closest neighboring country, is around 80%. Measures regarding President Yoon’s July summit demand for South Korean experts to be permanently stationed on-site and participate in verification of the discharge have yet to be implemented.

Even if not on the agenda, possibility remains that Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida will mention it

However, regardless of whether it is officially on the agenda, there remains a possibility that Japan will raise the contaminated water issue through Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s “voice” at the trilateral summit. Japanese media have hinted at behind-the-scenes efforts, reporting that “they are coordinating ways to explain the safety of the discharge and finalize the timing” at the summit. According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and local media, the ocean discharge of contaminated water is scheduled to begin between late this month and early next month.

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was shut down after an explosion accident caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. Due to the injection of cooling water to cool the melted nuclear fuel at the time of the accident and the inflow of groundwater and rainwater, about 140 tons of contaminated water are generated daily inside the nuclear power plant buildings.

IAEA concludes “compliance with international standards” but concerns over marine ecosystem remain

Japan announced a plan to use the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) equipment to filter out major radioactive substances from this contaminated water, then dilute it with seawater and discharge it over about 30 years. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concluded in a comprehensive report released on the 4th of last month that this method of treating contaminated water “complies with international standards.”

However, some radioactive substances such as tritium remain in the contaminated water purified by ALPS, and concerns about the impact on the marine ecosystem have not subsided. There are still controversies, including questions about the performance of the ALPS equipment itself.

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