South Korea and eight Central American countries have expressed their shared deep concerns over Japan’s decision to release radioactive water from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. 

The Foreign Ministry said Friday that South Korea and the members of the Central American Integration System, or SICA, adopted a joint statement expressing such concerns during a meeting of their vice foreign ministers in Costa Rica the previous day. 

In the joint statement, the countries noted the irreparable damage that would be done to not only neighboring countries but also to marine ecosystems around the world, characterizing the decision as an abandonment of responsibility for future generations. They also stressed the need for the international community to make joint efforts toward tackling marine pollution in the Pacific Ocean. 

The ministry placed significance in that the statement from the high-level multilateral gathering represented voices from non-Asian countries calling for the protection of shared seas.  

SICA was established in 1991 to promote regional integration and development in Central America. Its members are Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic.