SEOUL, April 12 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Monday expressed its serious concern about Japan's alleged decision to release radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.
The South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement that the Japanese government is known to be scheduled to hold a meeting on Tuesday to decide on its plan of discharging the nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima power plant into the Pacific Ocean.
It noted that the South Korean government is seriously concerned about the plan pending decision by the Japanese government, which can directly and indirectly affect the safety of health of the South Korean people and the surrounding environments.
The ministry said it has emphasized to the Japanese side the need for the decision to be made with a transparent disclosure of relevant information and consultations with neighboring countries.
If the Japanese side decides to dump the contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean without sufficient consultations, it is hard for South Korea to accept it, the ministry noted.
The ministry said South Korea will make it a top priority to ensure the safety of health of the South Korean people and protect the adjacent environments by greatly expanding the detection of radiation and strengthening the relevant monitoring.
It said South Korea will pay close attention to Japan's nuclear wastewater disposal decision and relevant procedures while strengthening cooperation with the international community such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the issue. Enditem
