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| Members of environmental groups hold a rally in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, March 22, against the Japanese government's decision to release radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seog |
Mentions of Fukushima radioactive water, wartime sex slavery, Dokdo denied
By Lee Hyo-jin
Recent reports by Japanese media claim that Fukushima's radioactive wastewater, wartime sex slavery and Dokdo were discussed during President Yoon Suk Yeol's recent visit to Tokyo, putting the president in an uncomfortable position.
The Korean government has denied Japanese news reports of Yoon's supposed discomfort during the summit. This is placing extra pressure on the president, who has been struggling to persuade the skeptical public to accept his efforts to mend ties with Tokyo.
On Friday, Yoon's office refuted a report by Japan's Kyodo News that claimed that the Korean president promised to seek public consent from South Koreans over Japan's planned release of contaminated radioactive water into the ocean.
Citing a diplomatic source, the Japanese news agency wrote on Wednesday that Yoon "vowed all-out efforts to remove concerns over the water discharge in his country, even if it takes time," during his meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on March 17.
"Fukushima seafood will never be imported to Korea," the presidential office said in a statement, Friday. "The president believes that there is no room for negotiations on issues concerning the health and safety of the people."
It also elaborated that during the meeting with Suga, Yoon stressed that the dumping of the irradiated water should undergo safety reviews in a science-based and objective manner in accordance with international standards, and that Korean experts should take part in the process.
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| A Wednesday report by Japan's Kyodo News claims that President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to Japanese lawmakers that he would seek public consent from his country regarding Japan's plan to dump irradiated wastewater from Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean. Screenshot from Kyodo News website |
Although Korea and Japan have recently agreed to renew bilateral ties, the Fukushima wastewater issue remains a source of conflict between the two nations. The Japanese government is seeking to discharge the irradiated water stored at the tsunami-hit nuclear power plant in the northeastern region of Japan into the Pacific Ocean starting as early as this summer.
Tokyo claims that the filtered water has been tested for concentration levels of radioactive nuclides. But Korea ― along with China and other Pacific Rim countries ― has been demanding Tokyo cancel its plan.
Since 2013, Seoul has banned imports of all seafood products from Fukushima due to concerns over radioactivity. Tokyo has been calling on Korea to lift the ban, claiming that its seafood products have been scientifically proven to be safe.
This is the latest denial of the Korean government concerning Japanese media coverage of the March 16 summit between Yoon and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, which touched on some sensitive issues.
Earlier this month, Sankei Shimbun and NHK reported that Kishida requested that Yoon faithfully implement Korea's 2015 agreement regarding sex slavery victims and renewed sovereignty claims over Korea's easternmost Dokdo islets.
The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs flatly denied the reports, saying that such issues were not on the summit agenda. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) has also been defending the president, calling the reports "groundless fake news."
However, lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) are demanding the government disclose the full details of what was discussed at the summit, suspecting that Yoon may have made concessions on sensitive issues.
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