A delegation of seven South Korean activists arrived in Japan to conduct a series of protests against Japan’s plan to dump wastewater coming from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.
The seven activists are representatives of South Korean Civic Groups, and on Thursday, the activists held a press conference outside the residence of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo to condemn the Japanese government and the Tokyo Electric Company (TEPCO’s) decision to release wastewater from the crippled nuclear power plant.
They also submitted a protest letter with signatures to the nuclear regulation authority and administrative body of the cabinet of Japan established to ensure nuclear safety in the country.
They also went to conduct a forum with their Japanese counterparts.
According to South Korean activist Jung Un-Yong there’s no completely safe way to treat nuclear-contaminated water.
“There is not a completely safe way to treat the nuclear-contaminated water. The only and most appropriate way is to store the water on land. As the nuclides have a half-life, they should be stored for a certain amount of time before making any plans,” Jung Un-Yong, an Activist said.
Lee Won-Kyu, another activist, said that South Korea’s Busan is among the closest port cities to Japan, and dumping nuclear water into the sea will also affect the livelihoods of their people.
“Busan is one of the closest port cities to Japan, and is also the most vulnerable once the nuclear-contaminated water is discharged into the sea, which has left Busan residents very nervous. We want to convey the concern and anger of Busan people, so we organized this signing event. Releasing nuclear-contaminated water into the sea is harmful to the ocean, which is not only a problem we have to face now, but will also affect future generations, so we oppose dumping nuclear-contaminated water into the sea,” Lee Won-Kyu, Activist said.
A series of signature campaigns were held by 63 civic groups in Busan South Korea, since June 1st. And so far, it has received more than 111,000 signatures from people who oppose the dumping plan.
