Seoul Summons Japan Diplomat over TEPCO N-Plant Water

Seoul, Aug. 19 (Jiji Press)--The South Korean Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned a Japanese diplomat over ever-increasing water at the disaster-crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The ministry sought explanations about Japan's policy on treating water contaminated with radioactive materials at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s plant, which had a nuclear disaster following the March 2011 powerful earthquake and tsunami. Tomofumi Nishinaga, minister at the Japanese embassy in Seoul, was also asked about an idea of releasing treated water contaminating tritium, a radioactive material, into the sea, according to the ministry. Nishinaga explained Japan's position on the matters and said he will report the South Korean government's views to his own country's government, the ministry said. Kwon Se-jung, director of climate, environment, science and foreign affairs at the ministry, handed a statement to Nishinaga, according to the ministry. The statement said Seoul recognizes the severe impact that the treatment results of contaminated water may make on the health and safety of both countries' nationals and the nations connected by sea. South Korea also called for an official response from the Japanese government on the possible release of treated water and proposed working together to forestall adverse effects of such a measure on the ecosystem of the nearby ocean. Japan has given explanations about the water issues to the South Korean side repeatedly, embassy sources said. Concerns about the issues persist in South Korea, where some people say the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games should be boycotted. END