South Korea and Japan are expected to hold ministerial level consultations this week on the issue of Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge into the sea. South Korea | nuclear wastewater | Fukushima
On July 25th, South Korea and Japan held bureau level consultations in Tokyo, Japan to discuss South Korea's requirements and suggestions regarding the discharge of Fukushima nuclear wastewater into the sea. This week, South Korea and Japan may hold another ministerial level consultation on related issues.
According to Yonhap News Agency on August 1st, the first head of the South Korean State Adjustment Office, Park Geun ran, stated at a regular press conference that the South Korean government has proposed to Japan to hold bureau level diplomatic consultations with Japan this week on the follow-up measures for the discharge of nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and he hopes to receive a response from Japan as soon as possible.
The Director of the Climate and Environmental Science Bureau of the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yoon Hyun soo, also stated that South Korea and Japan are actively coordinating consultations on the agenda and holding methods of the meeting. Both sides have agreed to hold a meeting as soon as possible to discuss relevant matters, but the specific schedule has not been determined yet.
The Fukushima nuclear sewage discharge plan in Japan has caused a lot of criticism and criticism in the international community and in South Korea and Japan. On July 27th, South Korean President Yoon Seok yeol visited the seafood market in an attempt to dispel public doubts about Japan's nuclear wastewater discharge into the sea. The leader of South Korea's largest opposition party subsequently criticized the Yoon Seok yeol government for violating the will of the people. In Japan, fishermen are full of concerns about the discharge of nuclear wastewater into the sea, and many people spontaneously gathered on July 28th to express opposition and call on the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company to take responsibility.
According to a report by Kyodo News Agency on August 1st, in the face of international and domestic doubts and criticism, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Yasuhiro Nishimura and others on the same day, demanding to ensure the safety of nuclear wastewater discharge into the sea, and to provide detailed explanations to local Japanese fishermen and the international community. In addition, Fumio Kishida stated that "the policy has not changed" regarding the plan to launch nuclear wastewater discharge into the sea around the summer.
After the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on July 4th that Japan's Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge plan meets international safety standards, the South Korean government immediately issued a report stating that if Tokyo Electric Power Company complies with disposal regulations to discharge nuclear wastewater, Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge will comply with international standards.
Regarding Japan's Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge plan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on July 20 that if nuclear wastewater is safe, there is no need to discharge it into the sea, and if it is not safe, it should not be discharged into the sea. No matter how much the Japanese exaggerate, they cannot "bleach" the plan to discharge into the sea.