Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that Japan will begin to discharge treated radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant Thursday, despite lingering safety concerns.
The controversial decision came after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gave final approval to the discharge last month, saying Japan's release plan met international standards.
The Fukushima plant has stored more than 1.3 million tons of water through a custom purification system known as the Advanced Liquid Processing System, since three reactors melted down after a powerful earthquake struck off the coast in March 2011.
In the wake of the meltdown incident, South Korea has banned all seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures near Fukushima since 2013 due to concerns over their radiation levels.
Although the IAEA has said Japan's plan for the water discharge would have a negligible impact on the environment, neighboring countries, including South Korea and China, worry that the water could contaminate seafood.
Japanese fisheries groups have also voiced opposition to the planned water release, fearing that it could further erode the reputation of seafood from Fukushima and nearby areas.
Source: Yonhap News Agency