▲ In this file photo, officials of the Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, speak to journalists at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station on Feb. 2, 2023. (Yonhap)

Fukushima-water release

Japan to start Fukushima water release on Thursday: media

TOKYO, Aug. 22 (Yonhap) -- Japan will begin to discharge treated radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant on Thursday, Japan's Kyodo News reported Tuesday, amid lingering safety concerns.

The decision comes after the International Atomic Energy Agency gave final approval to the discharge last month, saying Japan's release plan met international standards.

The Fukushima plant has stored more than 1.3 million tons of water through a custom purification system known as the Advanced Liquid Processing System, since three reactors melted down after a powerful earthquake struck off the coast in March 2011.

In the wake of the meltdown incident, South Korea has banned all seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures near Fukushima since 2013 due to concerns over their radiation levels.

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