▲ Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) hold a rally against Japan's plan to release water from the Fukushima plant at the National Assembly on July 5, 2023. (Yonhap)
▲ Main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung speaks at an urgent party caucus at the National Assembly in Seoul on July 5, 2023. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) DP-IAEA report

(LEAD) DP questions credibility of IAEA report on Fukushima discharge plan

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest developments in last 7 paras; ADDS byline and photo)

By Kang Jae-eun and Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, July 5 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) on Wednesday questioned the credibility of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report that Japan's plan to release radioactive water into the sea meets international safety standards, saying the report was based on Tokyo-provided data.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog unveiled the report Tuesday, saying Japan's plan to treat radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant and discharge it into the ocean would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment.

The report is likely to add new momentum to Japan's push to start discharging the water from the plant -- damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 -- some time this summer despite opposition from neighboring countries, including South Korea and China.

On Wednesday, the DP discounted the report as unreliable.

"Without even conducting a facility inspection, the IAEA has concluded based on data submitted by Japan that there is no problem," DP leader Lee Jae-myung said during a party meeting, adding that a Japanese news report has said only 27 percent of the Fukushima water meets Japan's release criteria.

"President Yoon must answer. Will he entrust our waters and our lives entirely to unverified results? The Democratic Party will seek every measure to prevent the disposal of contaminated water into the ocean," he said.

DP floor leader Park Kwang-on also said the IAEA report was like something ordered by Japan.

"Japanese media outlets also gave an assessment this morning that the report failed to resolve concerns among fishermen opposed to the discharge and other stakeholders," he said.

Park slammed the IAEA as irresponsible, pointing out the agency's statement that its report does not encourage or approve the dumping of contaminated water into the ocean.

"This is a truly irresponsible statement," he said.

The IAEA even noted that the discharge plan has raised political and environmental concerns, Park said, adding that the statement means the report cannot serve as a license for Japan to dump radioactive water into the sea.

"The IAEA is not an agency that analyzes people's health and the environment. It is an agency that attaches importance to nuclear power generation," he said. "The results of its investigation cannot but have low credibility."

Park urged the government to officially state its opposition to the release plan.

"We hope the government will renegotiate with Japan by using the concerns of more than 85 percent of our people and the strong objections from the DP, the No. 1 opposition party, as leverage," he said.

The DP also held an emergency meeting of all party lawmakers and decided to consider legislation banning all seafood imports from Japan, not just from Fukushima, if the contaminated water is released without consent from neighboring countries.

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) rejected the DP's criticism.

"The IAEA is an agency that has the highest-level expertise and authority on nuclear power," PPP leader Kim Gi-hyeon said, adding that disbelieving the IAEA report is "no different from giving up being a responsible member of the international community."

Kim further accused the DP of instigating distrust in an effort to use the issue for its attempt to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, just like it attempted to use the issue of mad cow disease to impeach the Lee Myung-bak government in 2008.

"What we need to do from now is to carry out the role of surveillance while closely monitoring whether the plan goes as scheduled and how to respond to unforeseen situations," he said, adding the ruling party and the government will take steps to address people's concerns, including strengthening safety checks on seafood.

He also urged Japan to offer sincere explanations and comply with verification demands.

"The Republic of Korea government will entirely ban seafood imports from Fukushima until people's concerns are laid to rest, no matter whether it takes 30, 50 or 100 years," he said.

(END)

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