Protests grow over Japan plan to release nuke water

South Korea’s majority opposition party and civic groups around the country stepped up protests yesterday against Japan’s plan to release water from the Fukushima nuclear plant today.Conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol’s government has come under criticism as it defended the position that its own assessment found no problems with the scientific and technical aspects of Japan’s plan.
“We intend to hold the Yoon government responsible for failing to do its duties,” opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said at a party meeting, calling Japan’s plan to discharge water from the Fukushima plant an act of terror.
Public concern remains high in South Korea over the plan to release more than 1mn metric tonnes of treated radioactive water starting at 1pm Japan time today, with a majority of people expressing worry over seafood and ocean contamination, according to surveys.
In a July public survey by the pollster Media Research, 62% of the people said they would cut back or stop consuming seafood once the discharge goes ahead, despite the South Korean government’s assurances to closely monitor the release.
Local governments in South Korea said they would step up radiation tests over seafood to ease consumer concerns. The Seoul metropolitan government said yesterday it would carry out daily testing for all seafood at major markets and disclose the results real-time, while South Gyeongsang province plans to livestream its testing.
Democratic Party members and Foreign Minister Park Jin clashed in parliament over the possibility of direct impact to South Korea.
Park said currents will carry the water around the Pacific along the Americas before it reaches South Korea’s shores in four years containing less radioactive tritium than normal sea water.