Korea voices concerns about Japan's Fukushima water release plan

Members of environmental groups attend a rally in Seoul, South Korea, against the Japanese government's decision to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant damaged in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, in this May 12 file photo. AP-Yonhap

South Korea expressed concerns Friday over Japan's assessment report on its planned release of radioactive water into the sea from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.

The stance was delivered at a virtual meeting between South Korea and Japan about a draft report by Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) on the radioactive impacts of its planned discharge.

Last month, TEPCO, the operator of the tsunami-stricken Fukushima plant, said its planned release of radioactive water into the ocean would have a “very minimal” impact on the marine environment and people.

In April, Japan announced a plan to start discharging the radioactive water into the sea in 2023 in what is expected to be a decades-long process, as all storage tanks at the Fukushima plant are expected to be full as early as the fall of 2022.

During the session, the Korean government voiced "regret" that Japan had unveiled the report on the premise that it will go ahead with the release of the radioactive water.

"We also expressed concerns over uncertainty about the impact on humans and the environment that the discharge will have," the government said.

It also called on Japan to disclose related information in a transparent manner to neighboring countries and sincerely engage in consultations on the issue.

According to Japanese media reports, TEPCO plans to build a roughly 1-kilometer-long undersea pipe to release the tritium-laced water from the wrecked plant into the ocean.

An estimated 1.25 million tons of such water are in temporary storage at the Fukushima plant on the east coast of Japan, which was devastated by a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in March 2011. (Yonhap)