South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has condemned communist forces that he says were pushing propaganda about seawater pollution over the release of treated wastewater from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster.
The pollution concerns, he said, fly in the face of scientific assessments regarding the safety of the treated radioactive water, which is being released transparently and in accordance with U.N. safety guidelines. The fear-mongering propaganda has incited a wave of public panic and calls to boycott Japan over its alleged seawater pollution.
But according to plant operator Tepco, which is being audited by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Fukushima’s discharge of treated wastewater will contain about 190 becquerels of tritium per liter, which is well below the World Health Organization drinking water limit of 10,000 becquerels per liter. A becquerel is a unit of radioactivity.
But despite the facts, China said it remained opposed to the planned release of the treated water, saying the Japanese government hadn’t proved that the water discharged would be safe. It also announced an immediate blanket ban on all aquatic products from Japan.
The Fukushima Daiichi plant was destroyed in March 2011 after a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake generated a powerful tsunami that caused meltdowns in three reactors.
Mr. Yoon’s anti-communism remark comes at a time when deliberate speculation and inaccurate reports have been spread regarding the treated water being released from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant.
This has the South Korean president worried, he said.
“In such a reality, in order to defend liberal democracy and grow our capabilities for unification by developing into a global pivotal state, your roles are more important than ever,” Mr. Yoon told several hundred attendees, including the new leaders of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, a Korean executive body.
Mr. Yoon also said that the results of the Korea–U.S.–Japan Summit, convened at the U.S. presidential villa in Camp David on Aug. 18, was an unprecedented tripartite declaration in support of “a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace.”
He explained that the United States, Japan, and South Korea have decided to exercise joint leadership and responsibility in order to turn the combined crises and challenges of the Indo-Pacific region and the world into opportunities.
Radiation of Released Water Within Safe Range: South Korean Government
Japan’s Ministry of the Environment announced on Aug. 27 that it had analyzed the results of seawater samples taken from 11 locations within a 40-kilometer radius of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant the day after the release of the treated water from the plant and found that the concentration of tritium—a radioactive substance—was below the lower limit of detection at all locations, which it said, alongside international partners, indicated that the water release will have “no adverse impact on human health and the environment.”The South Korean government also carried out emergency radiation tests from around 30 sites in its affected waters. Seoul’s oceans ministry stated on Aug. 29 that the concentration levels of cesium and tritium stood well below the standard set by the World Health Organization for drinking water.
In an effort to allay public concerns about the release of the treated contaminated seawater, on Aug. 28, Mr. Yoon and Mr. Han ate seafood for their weekly lunch at the regular meeting.
The Presidential Office staff cafeteria also served a seafood meal that day, in an attempt to signal that seafood products in Korea remain safe after the release of wastewater from Fukushima.
At the request of Mr. Yoon, the Yongsan presidential cafeteria offered a week-long menu utilizing Korean seafood products starting on Aug. 28.
Alert to Communist Forces
On Aug. 15, the 78th anniversary of Korean National Liberation Day, Mr. Yoon addressed Japan as a partner that shares universal values and the pursuit of common interests, stressing the need for strong joint Korea–Japan and Korea–U.S.–Japan security cooperation in the face of an increasingly aggressive communist China and North Korea.He particularly criticized some opposition parties and civil society groups that “blindly align with communist and authoritative powers, distort public sentiment through false narratives, and incite disturbances within society.”
“The forces of communist totalitarianism have always disguised themselves as democracy activists, human rights advocates, or progressive activists while engaging in despicable and unethical tactics and false propaganda,” he said.
“As the totalitarian forces disrupt and attack our societies, they take full advantage of the legal rights enshrined in free societies. That is the way they survive.”
