President eats at fish market amid Fukushima controversy
President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, talks to a merchant while purchasing a crab at Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market, Seoul's oldest and largest fish market in Dongjak District, Thursday. Yoon visited the market to encourage local merchants and promote domestic seafood consumption one week after Japan started discharging treated wastewater from a disabled nuclear plant in Fukushima. Courtesy of presidential office
President Yoon Suk Yeol ate seafood for lunch during a visit to a fish market in Seoul, Thursday, his office said, in the latest move to boost the consumption of local seafood products amid public concerns over Japan's release of treated wastewater into the ocean.
During his visit to Noryangjin Fish Market, Yoon checked the safety of local seafood products and purchased rockfish, blue crab and gizzard shad, presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon said in a written press briefing.
He also encouraged vendors and asked them about the potential impact of Japan's wastewater release.
"The president had lunch consisting of local seafood that are in season, such as rockfish stew, grilled gizzard shad and steamed blue crab," Lee said. "After finishing a bowl of rockfish stew, he asked for more soup."
Yoon was joined by Chief of Staff Kim Dae-ki and National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong, among other officials.
This was the first visit by a president to Noryangjin Fish Market since its opening in 1927, Lee said.
Seafood safety has emerged as a key issue after Japan began releasing radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean last week, although the government has said the discharge would pose no health hazards as long as it is done in a scientifically safe manner.
Yoon also ate seafood during his weekly lunch meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Monday. (Yonhap)