Anchor: Seoul will send a team of experts to Japan for an on-site inspection of its plan to release radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. Headed by the chief of South Korea's nuclear safety commission, the 21-member team will review the safety of the discharge plan and discuss their assessment with Japanese officials from related agencies.
Kim Bum-soo has more.

Report: The South Korean government revealed its plan to send a 21-member safety inspection team to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan for six days beginning Sunday.

The government held a briefing Friday, introducing the team of radiation and marine experts who will check on Japan's planned release of massive radioactive water from the plant into the sea.

Nuclear Safety and Security Commission chief Yoo Guk-hee will lead the team.

[Sound bite: Yoo Guk-hee - Chairperson, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (Korean-English)]
"There is a multi-nuclide removal facility which filters radioactive isotopes, called 'ALPS.' We will focus on checking on the ALPS facility, as well as the capabilities and installation of the discharge system. We will also inspect the analysis results of the ALPS-treated contaminated water in the chemical examination complex."

Seoul has been coordinating with Tokyo on the parameters of the South Korean inspection team ahead of the release.  

First Vice Minister of Government Policy Coordination Park Gu-yeon explained that the South Korean experts will hold meetings with related agencies in Japan after on-site inspections.

[Sound bite: Park Gu-yeon - 1st Vice Minister of Government Policy Coordination (Korean-English)]
"On the first working day on May 22, we will hold a question-and-answer session with related Japanese agencies and on May 23 and 24, we will check on the Fukushima number-one nuclear power plant. On May 25, we will wrap up our schedule after holding an in-depth technical meeting with related Japanese agencies. Our inspection is aimed at confirming the overall management of the filtering and discharging process of the contaminated water, as well as radioactive analysis capabilities, in order to obtain what is necessary for our own scientific and technical analysis."

The nuclear power plant suffered major damage from the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in 2011.

As the crippled plant now produces some 100 cubic meters of contaminated water a day to cool its melted reactors, storage is approaching capacity with tanks currently holding about one-point-three million tons of treated but still radioactive cooling water.

After Japan announced its plan to release the contaminated water this summer, concerns emerged in South Korea and other countries over the potential health risks and environmental damage caused by the move.

During their summit in Seoul earlier this month, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to have South Korean experts visit the plant and inspect the plan.

Officials said that the inspectors will hold a briefing to report on their findings to the public when they return home.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.