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| ▲ Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, speaks at a daily briefing on Aug. 18, 2023. (Yonhap) |
S Korea-Japan-Fukushima
Seoul refutes media report on Fukushima release request ahead of next year's elections
By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has not made a request to Japan for the early release of contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, an official said Friday, denying a news report the request was aimed at minimizing the potential impact on next year's general elections.
Earlier, Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper had reported that the Seoul government and the ruling party had approached Tokyo with a proposal through unofficial channels to initiate the release plan as early as possible, prior to next April's parliamentary elections.
"It is untrue that our government has sought the early release from the Japanese side," said Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, during a daily briefing on the Fukushima issue.
Park also said South Korea has requested Japan to provide advance notice before the release when the two countries held a third round of director-general-level talks on Wednesday via video conference to deliberate on specifics of Seoul's requests regarding the release plan.
"One of the key agenda items discussed in the working-level consultations was the need for ample time prior to the release and for notification to be given to our side," Park said.
Park also announced that the government would disclose the outcome of the talks within the upcoming week.
The two countries have held three rounds of talks to discuss follow-up measures after President Yoon Suk Yeol asked Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to include South Korean experts in monitoring the Fukushima water release.
During the meeting held on the sidelines of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Lithuania in July, Yoon also asked that the discharge be stopped immediately if the concentration of radioactive material in the water exceeds standard levels and that Japan promptly inform South Korea.
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