A two-day site visit by the ROK government concluded a two-day site visit on May 24 regarding a plan to dilute the treated water accumulated at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station to a substandard concentration and release it into the sea.

The background of this visit and the ROK's reaction were summarized in a Q&A format.

The delegation, which consisted of about 20 people, including officials from the Korean Nuclear Safety Commission and marine environmental experts, boarded a bus from the Tokyo Electric Power Company's facility in Tomioka Town, Fukushima Prefecture, around 2:24 a.m. on the second day of the field survey on the 9th, and headed to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Then, after about 9 hours, after 6:<> pm, I returned to Tomioka Town by bus again.

After this, Yu Guok-hee, the leader of the delegation, spoke to the press and explained that during the inspection on the 24th, he confirmed facilities for diluting treated water, equipment used to release it into the sea, and facilities for analyzing radioactive substances contained in treated water.

The two-day site visit will end on the 24th, and on the 2th, he will hold the final consultations with Japan government officials and others in Tokyo, and after completing all the schedules, he will return to Korea on the 25th.

Bottles containing "treated water"

The Japan government plans to dilute the treated water containing tritium and other radioactive substances accumulated at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to a substandard concentration and release it into the sea, and TEPCO is preparing to start releasing it by around this summer.

Regarding this plan, the governments of Japan and the ROK agreed to dispatch a South Korean inspection team to the site at the summit meeting held on May 7, and the delegation visited Japan for six days from 21 to 6.

Consultation between the ROK delegation and Japan government officials (May 22)

We summarized this visit in a Q&A format.

Q1.What was done during this visit?

A1.During the inspection, the safety of the plan was confirmed.

Details have not been revealed, but they confirmed how the concentration of radioactive substances is measured in tanks where treated water is stored and the mechanism of final checks at facilities for releasing it into the sea.

The delegation consisted of about 20 people, including senior officials of the Korean Nuclear Safety Commission and marine environmental experts. The Japan side considers this visit to be part of activities to deepen understanding rather than South Korea's own verification, but the size of the delegation and the schedule that will take two full days show the efforts of the ROK side.

Q2.What is the background of the dispatch of the inspection team and the aim of the ROK side?

A2.The reason behind the dispatch of an inspection team made up of Korean experts to the site is that there are still many voices of concern in Korea regarding the government'Japan s policy of releasing treated water.

The Korean government still calls the treated water "contaminated water," and there are persistent negative opinions about the discharge among citizens.

With the general election coming up in South Korea in April next year, opposition parties are increasingly criticizing the Yoon Sung-yeol administration for making concessions to the Japan over the release of treated water.

The Yoon administration seems to be aiming to appeal to the public that the ROK will proactively engage in safety discussions and make necessary demands on Japan by dispatching this investigation mission.

Q3.What is your reaction to this visit in Korea?

A3.In the Korean newspaper on the 24th, the JoongAng Ilbo, an influential conservative newspaper, reported on the activities of the inspection team on the 23rd, and the innovative Hankyoreh newspaper also reported extensively with photos of the inspection team getting off the moving bus.

In addition, major TV stations report in detail about the points of interest of this visit every day, and it can be said that interest is high from the coverage of the Korean media.

In South Korea, which is geographically close to Japan, there is a deep-rooted concern among the people about reputational damage to marine products.

In Seoul, demonstrations by people opposed to the release are also held, and against the background of such public opinion, the Korean government still calls the treated water "contaminated water".

Q4.Is there a possibility that Korea will lift import restrictions on marine products?

A4.We have no prospect of resuming imports.

In the first place, since imports are still being restricted even before the release of treated water, it is expected that concerns and opposition will further intensify in Korea if the release starts in the future.

In addition, the political schedule in Korea has a great deal to do with it. In South Korea, a general election is scheduled for April next year. Under such circumstances, the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, which has a majority in the National Assembly, has harshly criticized the Yoon Seong-nyeol administration's response to the plan to release treated water, saying that it is "just pretending to examine the complexion of the Japan," and is also opposed to the resumption of imports of marine products from Fukushima Prefecture and other prefectures.

Since the victory of the majority of the national power party that supports the administration is the most important issue for President Yoon, it will not be easy to resume imports of marine products from Fukushima Prefecture and other prefectures unless the concerns of the Korean people can be dispelled to a certain extent.

Q5.What is the government's response to Japan?

A5.In order to gain international understanding, we will continue to provide scientific explanations based on objective safety assessments by the IAEA.

The Japan government requested the IAEA to dispatch a survey team composed of experts from various countries since last year.

Visit to the IAEA (May last year)

The results of a comprehensive assessment before the start of the release are expected to be released in June, and accurate information will be disseminated to countries that have expressed concern.

However, Ryota Koyama, a professor at Fukushima University who is familiar with the reputational damage caused by treated water, said, "In order to respond to countries that show concern and opposition, it is necessary to take an attitude of verifying together not only with the IAEA."

Background in Korea leading up to the dispatch of the inspection team

When the Japan government decided to release the treated water accumulated at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station into the sea, the South Korean government objected, saying that it could affect the marine environment of the world, including neighboring countries, and that it was "absolutely unacceptable."

In addition, then-President Moon Jae-in stated that "we are extremely concerned" and instructed the government to actively consider filing a lawsuit with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

After that, the foreign minister at the time stated, "I do not dare to oppose it if it follows the procedures that conform to the standards of the IAEA = International Atomic Energy Agency," and indicated that the Government of the ROK will be actively involved in safety verification, including the participation of Korean nuclear safety experts in the IAEA investigation team.

However, in South Korea, which is geographically close to Japan, there is a deep-rooted concern among the people about reputational damage to marine products, and the Democratic Party of Korea, which has become the largest opposition party after the change of government, opposes the release.

In December last year, President Yoon Sung-nyeol told IAEA Director-General Grossi that the Korean people were concerned, and at the Japan-ROK summit meeting held in Seoul on December 12, they agreed to dispatch an inspection team composed of Korean experts to the ROK.