The foreign ministry says South Korea will actively take part in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s independent monitoring of the discharge of treated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
The ministry revealed the stance Wednesday, a few hours after Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority(NRA) approved a plan to discharge treated radioactive water from the crippled nuclear power plant into the sea.
The ministry stressed the importance of monitoring and reviewing contaminated water and marine environments, adding that Seoul will continue to communicate and consult with Tokyo on the planned discharge as a key interested party.
The ministry also said that it will exert its best efforts to ensure that measures and guidlines are strictly observed in the discharge of the treated water in line with international laws and standards, placing top priority on public health and safety.
The NRA gave Tokyo Electric Power Company(TEPCO) tentative approval for the plan, noting that there were no safety issues.
The NRA reportedly concluded that the water discharge will help TEPCO gain more space for future decommissioning work and lower overall risks to the Fukushima plant.
The plan will officially be approved after the regulator gathers opinions from the public, while TEPCO will also need to get consent from related municipalities to begin the construction of water discharge facilities.
Source: KBS World Radio