Seoul Turns To International Maritime Organization To Ensure Safe Fukushima Water Dump

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th May, 2021) South Korea's Oceans Minister Moon Seong-hyeok has requested assistance from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in finding ways to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog to ensure safety of Japan's planned release of waste water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

"I request the IMO, as an international body leading discussions on the marine environment, review ways to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure contaminated water can be disposed of through a method acceptable to the international community," Moon was quoted as saying by the Yonhap news agency on Friday.

The minister condemned Tokyo's decision as unilateral and being made "without processes for sufficient consultation and understanding from its closest country, South Korea."

In mid-April, Japan announced plans to start discharging treated waste water from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean in 2023. The decision triggered backlash from fishermen and neighboring countries over safety concerns.

Tokyo has since maintained that the treated water from Fukushima meets international safety standards and the plan adheres to standard practices of nuclear power plants operations around the world.