<기사제목>Presidential Office on Japan's Contaminated Water Discharge: "Protecting Public Health Is Science, Not Propaganda" (Update)

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo: "Thorough Monitoring with People's Health as Top Priority"

The Presidential Office stated on the 24th regarding Japan's discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, "Protecting the health of our people is not political agitation but science." The Japanese government began discharging contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean starting at 1 p.m. that day. This marks 2 years and 4 months since then-Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga decided on ocean discharge as the disposal method for the contaminated water in April 2021, and about 12 and a half years since the Fukushima nuclear accident caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011.

A Presidential Office official told reporters in the afternoon, "I believe Prime Minister Han has sufficiently conveyed the government's position in detail." He added, "As Prime Minister Han also said, protecting the health of our people is not political agitation but science," emphasizing this point.

Earlier, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced in a public address that the health and safety of the people would be the top priority and thorough monitoring would be conducted. Prime Minister Han said, "The government will secure transparent information from the international community and the Japanese government and will thoroughly monitor our seas, the waters near Japan, and the Pacific Ocean." To ensure thorough monitoring, it was explained that Korean experts will be dispatched to the local International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) office once every two weeks, and even when Korean experts are not present locally, data related to the discharge will be received from the Japanese side every hour.

In particular, he pointed out, "Our fisheries are being threatened by baseless agitation claiming that our seas will be contaminated due to Fukushima contaminated water," and said, "Such agitation and fake news not only threaten the livelihoods of fishermen but also damage the nation's trust and the proper health rights of the people." He added, "There must never be any confusion caused among the people by incorrect information. The government will secure transparent information from the international community and the Japanese government and will thoroughly monitor our seas, the waters near Japan, and the Pacific Ocean."

Meanwhile, Tokyo Electric Power Company plans to dilute and discharge about 460 tons of contaminated water daily into the sea for 17 days after the start of discharge, initially releasing 7,800 tons of contaminated water into the ocean. The expected volume of contaminated water to be discharged this year is 31,200 tons. After the discharge begins, concentration analysis will be conducted once a week.

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