Treated radioactive water will start being discharged into the Pacific Ocean as soon as Thursday, amid fierce opposition from neighbors and Japan’s fishing industry.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that the release of more than 1 million metric tons of wastewater — equivalent to more than 500 Olympic-size swimming pools — will take place in a safe manner.
“Instead of engaging in an honest debate about this reality, the Japanese government has opted for a false solution — decades of deliberate radioactive pollution of the marine environment — during a time when the world’s oceans are already facing immense stress and pressures,” said Shaun Burnie, senior nuclear specialist at Greenpeace East Asia.
“If the actual discharge deviates from the plan, even just a little bit, we will deem it a threat to the safety and health of our people, and immediately ask Japan to stop,” said Park Gu-yeon, vice minister of government policy coordination.
But opposition politicians have raised concerns that South Korean waters may be affected by the release, accusing President Yoon Suk Yeol of overlooking the health risks to mend diplomatic ties with Tokyo.
“The Yoon Suk Yeol administration is turning a blind eye to Japan’s dumping of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea,” said Kang Sun-woo, a spokeswoman for the main opposition Democratic Party.
In Tokyo, about 230 people gathered in front of the prime minister’s office Tuesday to protest the plan, holding signs and chanting slogans such as “Listen to the fishermen” and “The release will impact future generations.”
The original article contains 911 words, the summary contains 230 words. Saved 75%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that the release of more than 1 million metric tons of wastewater — equivalent to more than 500 Olympic-size swimming pools — will take place in a safe manner.
“Instead of engaging in an honest debate about this reality, the Japanese government has opted for a false solution — decades of deliberate radioactive pollution of the marine environment — during a time when the world’s oceans are already facing immense stress and pressures,” said Shaun Burnie, senior nuclear specialist at Greenpeace East Asia.
“If the actual discharge deviates from the plan, even just a little bit, we will deem it a threat to the safety and health of our people, and immediately ask Japan to stop,” said Park Gu-yeon, vice minister of government policy coordination.
But opposition politicians have raised concerns that South Korean waters may be affected by the release, accusing President Yoon Suk Yeol of overlooking the health risks to mend diplomatic ties with Tokyo.
“The Yoon Suk Yeol administration is turning a blind eye to Japan’s dumping of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea,” said Kang Sun-woo, a spokeswoman for the main opposition Democratic Party.
In Tokyo, about 230 people gathered in front of the prime minister’s office Tuesday to protest the plan, holding signs and chanting slogans such as “Listen to the fishermen” and “The release will impact future generations.”
The original article contains 911 words, the summary contains 230 words. Saved 75%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!