The ruling People Power Party (PPP) vowed Tuesday to work with the government to ensure the safety of seafood and prevent fake news from hurting the local fisheries industry, as Japan is set to release radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant this week.
Rep. Sung Il-jong delivered the pledge after the PPP's special task force on the issue discussed measures to ensure the safety of the discharge and work with private companies to boost seafood consumption feared to be affected once Japan starts discharging Fukushima water into the ocean Thursday.
The PPP said they requested the government to work with the international society, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, to thoroughly monitor the discharge process and stop the release in the event of an emergency.
It also asked for the regular dispatch of local experts, as well as a thorough checking and public sharing of radiation levels in South Korean seas, to help disperse people's concerns on the issue, Sung said.
Additionally, the government and company officials signed an agreement to include more locally produced seafood in corporate meals, in a bid to help the fisheries industry cope with potential damage from the ocean discharge.
Source: Yonhap News Agency