ROK Experts Begin Fukushima Nuclear Plant Tour on Treated Water

By Takayuki Nakagawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

17:36 JST, May 23, 2023

A delegation of South Korean experts began a two-day observation of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant Tuesday to look into issues related to treated water.

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.’s plan to release the treated water into the ocean has drawn strong concerns in South Korea.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed during their summit in Seoul on May 7 that South Korea would dispatch the delegation to Japan in order to deepen the South Korean public’s understanding of the plan.

According to sources including an announcement by the delegation in advance of the visit, the experts will observe the advanced liquid processing system. ALPS is the process by which contaminated water becomes treated water through the removal of radioactive materials, except tritium.

The delegation will also look into tanks that measure and confirm the presence of materials including tritium, which is hydrogen with three particles in its nucleus rather than the usual one.

The experts are further expected to observe among other things the equipment that transfers treated water to the coast.