The International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) will launch an on-site inspection at the Fukushima nuclear power plant to verify that the wastewater discharge beginning on Thursday meets international safety standards.

Last month, the IAEA established a permanent office within the Fukushima facility where experts are expected to confirm that the water release complies with the treatment and discharge plan by the Tokyo Electric Power Company(TEPCO).

The experts have also been tasked to regularly visit the treatment and discharge facilities and arrange consultation between the IAEA and TEPCO upon any change in the plan to ensure that the entire process abides by international standards.

The IAEA plans to upload data obtained from TEPCO regarding the volume of wastewater, the amount of seawater used for dilution, post-dilution tritium concentration and radiation monitoring.

The United Nations nuclear watchdog will also regularly share updated information on the discharge with South Korea through the newly established IAEA-South Korea Fukushima Information Mechanism.

When the shared information raises questions or requires further review, South Korean experts will be able to visit the IAEA office to monitor and assess the water discharge.