South Korea set to issue assessment of Japan’s Fukushima discharge plan

South Korea will announce on Friday its own assessment of Japan’s plan to release treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean, a senior government official said.

The announcement will come after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved Japan’s plans on Tuesday, saying they were consistent with global safety standards and would have a “negligible radiological impact to people and the environment”.

“We are currently at the final stage … and will be able to explain the results at tomorrow’s daily briefing,” Park Ku-yeon, a vice-ministerial official at South Korea’s Office for Government Policy Coordination, told reporters.

The administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol has faced a tricky line responding to the issue given improving relations with Japan, just as the risk of a broader consumer backlash persists.

Some consumer have been snapping up sea salt ahead of the planned release of water.