South Korean government calls for "reconsideration of Fukushima nuclear power plant treated water release" at IAEA general meeting

The first deputy minister of the Korea Ministry of Science, Technology, Information and Communication (Korean national administrative agency), Yong Hong-taek, gave an online speech at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Assembly held in Vienna, Austria on the 21st. He expressed concern about the decision to release treated water from nuclear power plants into the ocean and urged him to reconsider the release into the ocean.

In this speech, Vice-Minister Yong pointed out, "Despite the consistent opposition of the South Korean government, the Japanese government unilaterally decided to release treated water into the ocean without sufficient consultation with its neighboring country, South Korea."

He also emphasized the importance of the role played by the IAEA in improving objectivity, transparency and safety in the process of treating treated water.

“We will develop regulatory guidelines based on IAEA safety standards and work closely with member countries toward the safe decommissioning of Kori Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, which will be promoted for the first time in South Korea” said Yong.