SEOUL: South Korea and Japan are set to convene a second director-general-level meeting this week to address Seoul’s requests concerning Tokyo’s proposal to release contaminated water from the disabled Fukushima nuclear power plant, an official said Tuesday.
The initial round of talks took place in Japan last Tuesday, aiming to deliberate on follow-up measures after President Yoon Suk Yeol urged Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to involve South Korean experts in monitoring the Fukushima water discharge, Yonhap news agency reported.
“During the sideline meeting at the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in Lithuania, President Yoon also urged Japan to halt the discharge immediately if the concentration of radioactive materials in the water exceeds acceptable levels, and to promptly notify South Korea about any updates,” it added.
According to Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, additional working-level consultations with Japan are scheduled for this week.
Meanwhile, the South Korean government is still awaiting a response from Tokyo regarding a letter sent by the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) to Prime Minister Kishida, as confirmed by Park.
On Friday, Lee Jae-myung, the chairman of the DP, sent the letter via the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to express “people’s concerns and opposition” to the proposed water release. -Bernama
