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| ▲ Park Ku-yeon (C), the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, speaks during a daily briefing on July 10, 2023. (Yonhap) |
govt-IAEA
Gov't denounces protests raising IAEA bribery suspicions as 'very inappropriate'
By Kim Han-joo
SEOUL, July 10 (Yonhap) -- The government criticized weekend rallies where some protesters alleged that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) received bribes worth 1 million euros (US$1.1 million) from Japan, a senior official said Monday, denouncing the act as "very inappropriate."
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi visited South Korea from Friday to Sunday, which included a meeting with opposition lawmakers to explain the U.N. nuclear watchdog's report that gave the green light to Japan's plan to discharge water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
In downtown Seoul, hundreds of demonstrators marched, demanding that Japan scrap its plans. Some even camped outside the National Assembly on Sunday when Grossi held a meeting with members of the Democratic Party.
During the protests, some participants claimed the IAEA received 1 million euros in bribes from Japan.
"It has been confirmed as fake news," said Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, during a daily briefing on the Fukushima release plan Monday. Park added that such an act was very inappropriate internationally.
Park reiterated that the Japanese government had confirmed it as fake news and cautioned the media against even mentioning such false facts.
During his visit, the IAEA chief reiterated the report's finding that Japan's discharge plan was "in conformity with international safety standards" and that the agency will continue to monitor the decadeslong release process to ensure it is carried out as planned. Grossi headed for New Zealand on Sunday.
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