[2023 National Audit] Opposition: "Japanese Seafood Breached by Direct Hits"... Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Minister Bursts into Bitter Laughter, Issues 'Apology'

October 12 National Assembly Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs and Fisheries Committee Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry Audit
Ruling and Opposition Parties Focused Questions on 'Fukushima Contaminated Water'

On the 12th, during the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee's audit of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the issue of direct internet purchases of Japanese seafood processed products that have not undergone radiation inspection came under scrutiny. During this line of questioning, Minister Cho Seung-hwan of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries burst into laughter and bowed his head after being reprimanded by opposition lawmakers.

Yoon Joon-byung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, brought processed herring products directly purchased from Japan to the audit session and said, "All of these were directly purchased and received by our office," adding, "Despite the fact that we officially ban imports, these products still end up on our dining tables." He continued, "It is inappropriate for the government to package the system as if it is functioning properly when it cannot effectively inspect or regulate these matters."

This pointed out that even if the government conducts radiation inspections on imported seafood processed products, there is a blind spot due to individuals' direct purchases.

Minister Cho responded, "The part where individuals purchase small quantities should be seen as a personal role or function," to which Yoon countered, "If the government regulates large-scale imports from abroad, why does it not affect health and safety when individuals do it?"

In response, ruling party members emphasized that it is practically rare for Fukushima-origin seafood processed products to appear on domestic tables through direct purchases, supporting Minister Cho. Lee Yang-soo, a member of the People Power Party, asked, "Are there any citizens in our country who directly purchase Fukushima herring for consumption rather than for National Assembly audit purposes?" Minister Cho smiled and replied, "I also think there are none."

Yoon said, "Minister Cho agreed with Lee Yang-soo's question and showed a behavior of laughing and trivializing the issue," and requested an apology from the minister, stating, "The question points out that there is a loophole in the import ban." Minister Cho apologized, saying, "I agree with Mr. Yoon's remarks, and I am very sorry if my laughing made it seem like I was trivializing the issue."

Minister Cho Seung-hwan of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is talking with officials at the National Assembly's Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Oceans and Fisheries Committee's audit held on the 12th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

During the audit, the ruling and opposition parties engaged in sharp exchanges throughout the day over the import ban measures related to the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima. Opposition lawmakers urged expanding the import ban to all Japanese seafood, while the government and ruling party expressed concerns that the issue could escalate into an international problem with Japan.

Yoon Jae-gap, a Democratic Party member, pointed out, "Fukushima seafood is supposed to be banned from entering the country, but 530 tons of processed seafood products, including canned, dried products, and salted seafood, are entering South Korea and appearing on our dining tables." This highlighted gaps in the government's import controls on Fukushima seafood.

He added, "According to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, there have been 2,119 cases where agricultural, livestock, and seafood products from Fukushima Prefecture and neighboring prefectures exceeded radiation standards," and asked, "Given this, wouldn't our citizens naturally be concerned about the safety of products entering in processed forms?"

He also raised the issue that processed seafood products indicate the factory location rather than the origin, arguing for expanding the import ban not only on Fukushima but across all of Japan. Yoon said, "Even if seafood from Fukushima is processed in a factory in Tokyo, it is labeled as Japanese origin," and asked, "Shouldn't we also expand the import ban across all of Japan like China?"

The government and ruling party expressed concerns about "excessive measures." Minister Cho responded, "Blocking all imports would be excessive," adding, "South Korea is a surplus country in seafood exports to Japan, exporting about four times more, so there should also be measures addressing this."

Jeong Hee-yong, a member of the People Power Party, pointed out, "If scientific damage is not verified, Japan might take the issue to international disputes if we block seafood imports," and said, "We need a highly strategic approach for the protection of our citizens. It is not simply a matter of blocking imports."

Minister Cho also emphasized during Jeong's questioning, "Basically, in terms of uniform national regulations, the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements and similar frameworks advise against unfounded uniform regulations."

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