Anchor: Consultations are soon set to begin for a South Korean expert delegation's visit to Japan to inspect the planned release of radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear facilities. But there is already an apparent disparity between the two sides over the team's role and the scope of inspection.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: The foreign ministry in Seoul briefed the National Assembly on Tuesday about the upcoming inspection of Japan's preparations to release radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant by South Korean experts. 

The ministry said the country has secured an opportunity to unilaterally review and assess the safety of the plant's water treatment, with the team set to effectively conduct a verification. 

The presidential office also stressed it would be necessary for South Korean experts to conduct their own inspection and investigation of the plant.

Speaking to Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday, a key presidential official said that while the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) continues to verify the contaminated water, there is a need for Seoul to ensure that the purification facilities are in order and that Tokyo is capable of carrying out the operation.

This comes after Japanese economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said the South Korean inspection team, whose visit was agreed to by the leaders of the two countries this past weekend, is not expected to inspect and confirm the safety of the water.

Instead, the minister said Tokyo plans to simply explain the state of its water storage, facility construction for the release, and planned lowering of radioactive density to a safe standard.

In an apparent attempt to ease domestic concerns about the contradiction, another high-ranking presidential official said Tokyo was likely making a reference to the IAEA's ongoing evaluation and that Seoul's study would not overlap with the IAEA's. 

The two sides are expected to hold a director-general-level meeting in Seoul later this week to negotiate the scope of the inspection and plan a detailed itinerary for the expert delegation.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.