S Korea says Fukushima water release carried out as planned
25 Aug 2023 11:29am
South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party members hold placards reading "Stop dumping Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the ocean!" during a rally against Japan's discharge of treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on Aug 25, 2023. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
Tokyo initiated the discharge of contaminated water a day earlier, a process expected to span more than three decades, despite lingering health and environmental concerns from neighboring countries.
"So far, the discharge is proceeding stably as originally planned, and it is understood that there are no abnormal situations," Yonhap news agency quoted Park Ku Yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, as saying during a daily briefing on the Fukushima issue.
Park also emphasised that the Seoul government is thoroughly monitoring and analysing the ocean discharge process through a "double hotline" between the regulatory and diplomatic authorities of the two countries.
The two sides earlier agreed to swiftly share information in case of an abnormal situation at the discharge facilities.
"The government will take its best measures to continue monitoring so that there will be no impact on people's safety and health," Park said. - BERNAMA-YONHAP
