Japan Desperate to Dispose of Nuclear Waste Water into the Sea, South Koreans Are Worried

2023-06-30 08:44:18

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Japan will release Fukushima nuclear reactor waste water into the sea. Photo/RNZ

SEOUL – The issue of the Japanese government providing funds to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) related to the plan to release wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant has caused controversy with South Korea (South Korea).

Japan has repeatedly provided assurances that the wastewater is safe, saying it has been filtered to remove most of the isotopes even though it contains traces of tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that is difficult to separate from water.

But the plan has frightened fishermen as well as consumers in Japan and across the region.

“I just bought 5 kilograms of salt,” said Lee Young-min, a 38-year-old mother of two, while making seaweed soup in her kitchen in Seongnam, just south of the South Korean capital, Seoul. NDTVFriday (30/6/2023).

Young-min admits he’s never bought so much salt before but feels he has to do what he can to protect his family.

“As a mother raising two children, I can’t just sit back and do nothing. I want to feed them safely,” she said.

The rush to stockpile salt saw a nearly 27% increase in salt prices in South Korea in June from two months ago, although officials say the weather and lower production were also to blame.

In response, the Seoul government is releasing about 50 metric tons of salt a day from stockpiles, at a 20% discount from market prices, until July 11, Deputy Fisheries Minister Song Sang-keun said on Wednesday.

South Korean fisheries authorities said they would continue to monitor the salt fields for any increase in radioactivity. South Korea has banned seafood from waters near Fukushima, on Japan’s east coast.