The office of President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday the government will place top priority on the health and safety of the people following the conclusion by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Japan's planned discharge of treated radioactive water is consistent with its safety standards.
"We respect the announcement of the IAEA, which is the leading U.N.-affiliated international organization in nuclear energy safety," a presidential official told Yonhap News Agency. "The government will place top priority on our people's health and safety."
The IAEA said Tuesday that a two-year review found Japan's plan to release water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power station into the sea to be consistent with its safety standards.
The agency also said the treated water would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment.
South Korea will continue to monitor the details of the planned discharge in close cooperation with the Japanese government and the IAEA, and also increase surveys of radioactive substances in its coastal waters to ensure the safety of its seas and seafood, the presidential official said.
Source: Yonhap News Agency