S. Korean Delegation to Inspect Treated Water Slated to Be Released into Ocean from Japan Nuclear Plant

By Takayuki Nakagawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

12:38 JST, May 14, 2023

SEOUL — Japan and South Korea on Saturday announced a four-day visit by a delegation of South Korean experts to inspect the treated water expected to be released into the ocean from the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant.

Talks between the two governments began Friday afternoon and continued into early Saturday morning, during which views were exchanged on where the inspection team would visit, and the information Japan would provide during the trip. The two sides intend to talk more in the near future to work out the details of the inspection tour.

South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that the delegation’s visit is expected to include May 23-24. The decision to dispatch an inspection team was made during the Japan-South Korea summit on May 7.

Participants in the Friday-Saturday talks included Atsushi Kaifu, director general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Science Department; Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry officials; and Yun Hyunsoo, director general of the South Korean Foreign Affairs Ministry’s Climate Change, Energy, Environmental and Scientific Affairs Bureau.