Moon Urges Measures Against Japan's Territorial Claim, Possible Toxic Water Leak - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th August, 2019) South Korean President Moon Jae-in has instructed the government to take measures against Japanese claims over the Liancourt Rocks islands, disputed by Tokyo and Seoul, as well as possible leakage of radioactive water from storage tanks at Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant (NPP), local media reported, citing a source.

The Liancourt Rocks islands, also known as Dokdo and Takeshima, have been administered by South Korea since 1954, but Japan disputes Seoul's sovereignty over the territory. Seoul considers the Liancourt Rocks to be South Korean territory historically, geographically and legally. South Korea is also concerned over a risk of a radioactive water leak into the Pacific Ocean, as Tokyo Electric Power Company which manages the Fukushima NPP, said it was running out of space to store water that had come in contact with nuclear fuel.

Moon voiced his instructions to the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Culture, sports and Tourism, stressing that there was a need to act properly and actively together with international organizations, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The move came amid the trade dispute between South Korea and Japan, ongoing since July, when the Japanese government canceled preferential treatment for the export of fluorinated polyimides, photoresist and hydrogen fluoride to South Korea. Additionally, earlier in August, Tokyo decided to remove Seoul from the whitelist of trade partners that have preferences in importing Japanese technologies and high-tech products from August 28.

Tokyo's decision to impose the restrictions is believed to be related to Japan's preparation for the selling of assets of Japanese companies, ordered by a South Korean court to provide compensations to the victims of forced labor during the Japanese colonization of the Korean Peninsula in 1910-1945.