Yoon urges transparency in handling of Fukushima water in summit with Kishida: FM

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed the need for transparency in Tokyo’s plan to discharge contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant in a recent summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Seoul’s top diplomat said Monday.

In an interview with Yonhap News TV, Foreign Minister Park Jin said Yoon “clearly expressed his stance on the issue of contaminated water” during the summit with Kishida held on Sunday in Hiroshima.

“(The president said) it is desirable that the issue be handled transparently, objectively and in accordance with international standards,” Park quoted Yoon as saying during the summit held on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit.

A team of South Korean experts began its official activities to inspect the planned release of radioactive water from the Fukushima plant Monday, amid lingering concerns about the safety of the water.

The inspection — the first independent one by South Korean experts — is a follow-up to a summit between Yoon and Kishida in Seoul earlier this month amid a thaw in the two countries’ relations badly frayed over historical disputes.

Park said Seoul sent the team based on the need for South Korea to independently verify whether the purification and discharge of the water are carried out objectively and transparently as neighboring countries.

He stated that assessing the level of Japan’s transparency of the water release plan and obtaining necessary data would greatly assist South Korea in making a final judgment on Tokyo’s plan.

The minister added Seoul will hold consultations with Washington and Tokyo regarding U.S. President Joe Biden’s invitation to Yoon and Kishida for a three-way meeting in Washington in the future.

“Given the differing political schedules of each country, (the leaders) will meet after choosing the best possible timing,” Park said.