Busan Gijang-gun Actively Responds by Strengthening Radioactivity Tests on Seafood Due to Japan's Contaminated Water Discharge

Busan's Gijang-gun is responding to the Japanese government's discharge of radioactive contaminated water from Fukushima into the ocean by strengthening radioactive nuclide inspections on seafood to alleviate concerns about clean Gijang seafood and continue promotional activities to boost consumption.

As a preemptive measure, the county signed a business agreement with Gijang Fisheries Cooperative on July 21 and installed two 'radioactive nuclide inspection devices for food' at the Gijang Fisheries Cooperative auction site.

The auction site supports active, scientific, and systematic monitoring of artificial radioactive nuclides in caught, auctioned, and distributed seafood, and conducts radiation education and technical support by visiting the site at least once a week.

Over the past month, radiation tests were conducted on seawater, mackerel, Spanish mackerel, squid, and other seafood, with artificial radioactive nuclides such as radioactive cesium and radioactive iodine measuring below detectable levels (below the minimum detectable concentration). The measurement results can be checked by anyone on the Gijang Fisheries Cooperative website.

Jung Jong-bok, the mayor of Gijang County, is demonstrating radiation measurement equipment at the Gijang Fisheries Cooperative last July.

Additionally, to ensure the safety of young students who are sensitive to radiation protection and exposure and to alleviate parents' concerns, since June 1, a 'pilot project for radiation measurement of school meal ingredients' has been conducted at two schools in the district: Ilgwang Middle School and Wolnae Elementary School.

This project supports each school's own continuous and active radiation inspection of food ingredients provided to students. The county has installed radiation analyzers free of charge at the two schools and provides technical support such as equipment performance checks, maintenance, and verification of measurement and analysis results.

Following the start of the second semester in September, the county plans to secure a budget for additional acquisition of 'radioactive nuclide inspection devices for food' after surveying additional demand by school and expand the installation and technical support projects within schools.

Gijang-gun will immediately take follow-up measures and conduct cause investigations through specialized institutions if abnormal measurement values (nuclide detection or values exceeding standards) are found in the radioactive inspection results of food measured independently by each school and Gijang Fisheries Cooperative.

To ensure objective and scientific reliability of the measurement values, cross-precision analyses are conducted twice a month by requesting the Radiation Science and Technology Research Institute at Pukyong National University, which has a local measurement station of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety.

Gijang-gun currently owns a total of five 'radioactive nuclide inspection devices for food.' These are prepared for the purpose of preparedness and response to protect residents from unexpected radiation emergencies or radioactive disasters from the Kori and Saeul Nuclear Power Plants.

The equipment is actively used during normal times at local schools and the Gijang Fisheries Cooperative auction site for scientific responses to the Fukushima contaminated water discharge and to alleviate residents' concerns.

County Governor Jeong Jong-bok said, "It is regrettable that negative rumors and avoidance of consumption due to uncertain safety regarding domestic seafood are spreading because of the Japanese government's discharge of Fukushima contaminated water."

He added, "Gijang-gun is making every effort to secure safe food from radiation, so we ask that you feel assured about seafood produced and caught in the clean Gijang sea and actively purchase and consume it as usual."

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