Prime Minister Han Duck-soo issued a statement in a bid to quell public anxiety shortly after Japan began releasing contaminated water from its Fukushima nuclear power plant on Thursday.

In the statement, Han said the government has, for the past several years, exerted efforts to come up with substantive steps to protect the people’s health and safety ahead of the Fukushima water discharge.

[Soundbite: Han Duck-soo briefing (Korean-English)]
“If the Japanese government releases the water according to its plans announced earlier, I believe that South Korea will have little to worry about. The radioactive amount is lower than levels inherent in nature, and the discharge will cycle once throughout the Pacific before reaching our waters. However, we place priority on the health and safety of our people, and therefore, will make thorough preparations for any contingency that may arise.”

The prime minister then stated that the government will send experts every other week to an office that the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) has set up at the plant to inspect the discharge, with Japan also sending data updates hourly.

Han went on to say that South Korean and IAEA officials will begin to hold contact from Thursday and commence regular virtual meetings.

The prime minister also reiterated that Seoul will continue to ban the import of seafood products from Fukushima and seven other Japanese prefectures near the power plant as well as imports of 27 farm products from 15 Japanese prefectures. 

Han then called on Tokyo to disclose in a transparent and responsible manner information on the water discharge which will take place over the next 30 years.