Anchor: Japan will begin discharging wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean on Thursday. Upon Tokyo's announcement, South Korea said that it has found no scientific or technical grounds to oppose the release while stressing that the position should not be mistaken for an endorsement.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: Japan's Fumio Kishida Cabinet on Tuesday reached a final decision to begin discharging wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean from Thursday so long as the weather permits.

Following the meeting, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida said the endorsement by other countries of the International Atomic Energy Agency's scientific response has led to an expansion of the international community's understanding about the process.

[Sound bite: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (Japanese-English)]
“At today's ministerial meeting, we confirmed that we will prepare all possible measures at this time to ensure safety, counter rumors and support the continuation of livelihoods. TEPCO(Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings) has been requested to promptly proceed with preparations for the commencement of the ocean release based on the plan approved by the Nuclear Regulation Authority. As for the specific release date, August 24 is the expected date if there are no problems with weather and sea conditions.”

Last month, the IAEA released the final report from its two-year study, assessing that the planned water discharge is compliant with international standards.

[Sound bite: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (Japanese-English)]
"The government will take responsibility until the disposal of ALPS-treated water is completed, even if it takes several decades in order to safely complete the decommissioning and release of the water, and to deal with the reputational impact of the disposal of ALPS-treated water and concerns about the continuation of livelihoods.” 

In line with the latest decision, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company is expected to release the water, treated by the Advanced Liquid Processing System and then diluted with seawater, through a sea tunnel.

As of June of this year, there were over one-point-34 million tons of wastewater at the Fukushima facility, which will require around 30 years to be discharged.

Despite the IAEA verification, concerns over the safety of the process and its ramifications persist among the Japanese people and in neighboring countries, including South Korea and China. 

Amid such domestic resistance, however, the Seoul government announced on Tuesday afternoon that there were no scientific or technical issues found with the release plan.

First vice minister of government policy coordination Park Gu-yeon said in a daily briefing that the stance does not equate to an endorsement of the discharge, and any deviation in the implementation of the plan will be viewed as a threat to the safety and health of the South Korean people prompting a call to suspend the release.

The discharge is set to begin two years and four months after the former Yoshihide Suga Cabinet officially decided on the release plan in April 2021 and more than 12 years since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck eastern Japan and damaged the plant.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.