The South Korean government has announced that radiation levels in waters around the Korean Peninsula have not exceeded safety limits in the past year since Japan began releasing treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, the Yonhap news agency reports.
This assurance comes from Kim Jong-moon, first deputy minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, who stated that seven batches of treated water have been discharged into the Pacific Ocean since August 2022, with the eighth batch currently underway.
To monitor the situation, South Korea has conducted 49,633 tests on radioactive levels in its waters, fisheries, and ballast waters. “There was not a single case that exceeded the radioactive safety criteria,” Kim confirmed, adding that there has been no indication of public concern, such as decreased fish consumption or panic buying.
Despite these reassurances, the government emphasizes that the discharge of contaminated water is a long-term process and directly impacts public health and safety. Therefore, they will continue to closely monitor the situation to ensure the process adheres to the agreed-upon plan.
This announcement comes amidst ongoing concerns from neighboring countries regarding the potential environmental and health risks associated with the Fukushima water discharge.
