South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol asked to send South Korean experts to monitor the planned release of water from Japan’s tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear plant during a meeting on Wednesday with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the presidential office said.
Mr Yoon also requested to halt the water discharge from the destroyed plant if radiation levels remain over safety standards even after filtering out radioactive elements.
The two leaders held a meeting on the sidelines of the Nato summit in Lithuania, during which they also condemned North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile as a serious provocation that escalates tension.
Mr Yoon has been pushing to mend strained ties with Tokyo following years of feuds over historical issues which undercut cooperation between the key US Asian allies despite increasing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.
The talks came as Japan plans to soon start releasing more than a million tonnes of treated water, which sparked health concerns among some South Koreans that the water could make its way to their country, potentially contaminating seafood.
While expressing respect for the UN nuclear watchdog’s recent approval of the planned water release, Mr Yoon requested the dispatch of South Korean experts and real-time sharing of monitoring data to verify if the process was carried out as planned.
“He emphasised that public health and safety should be considered as a top priority,” Mr Yoon’s office said in a statement.
Mr Kishida pledged to share monitoring information “in a prompt, highly transparent manner”, and halt the discharge of water immediately if its radioactive levels exceeded safety standards, Mr Yoon’s office said.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry also said Mr Kishida promised Mr Yoon to ensure swift, transparent sharing of monitoring data, adding that the release would be constantly reviewed by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“He said there will be no release that will have a negative impact on the environment, the Japanese or South Korean people,” the ministry said in a statement.
Mr Yoon and Mr Kishida also agreed to resume high-level economic dialogue this year, both sides said. (StraitsTimes)
