South Korea has declared its commitment to maintaining rigorous radiation examinations on both domestic and imported seafood, as Japan initiated the second phase of releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, according to reports by Yonhap news agency. The initial phase of this release took place in August and September.
In 2011, a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami severely compromised the power supply and cooling systems of three Fukushima Daiichi reactors, resulting in a nuclear crisis.
Vice Oceans Minister Park Sung-hoon stated during a press briefing, “The government conducted over 14,000 rounds of radiation assessments on seafood, surpassing our annual target, and all products have met our safety criteria.”
South Korea instituted a ban on seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures near Fukushima in 2013 due to concerns about radiation levels following the 2011 incident. The nation has affirmed its commitment to maintaining these import restrictions until all public apprehensions are adequately addressed.
The second phase of the release of treated radioactive water will continue until October 23.