North Korea urges global action to halt Japan's release of Fukushima wastewater

North Korea has urged the global community to prevent Japan from discharging treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean.

In a statement by North Korea’s Land and Environment Protection Department, they called on the international community to take action against Japan’s harmful and aggressive move that threatens the Earth’s home.

The statement was reported by state media outlet KCNA on Sunday. The call comes after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a UN body, declared last week that Tokyo’s plan adheres to international standards of environmental safety.

Japan intends to release the wastewater during the summer, but concerns have been raised by neighboring countries such as South Korea, China, and the Pacific Islands. These nations fear potential damage to the environment and public health.

On Friday, Chinese customs authorities announced that the ban on food imports from ten Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima, would continue, and inspections would be intensified to ensure the safety of Japanese food imports to China, specifically monitoring for radioactive substances.

The UN’s approval has not alleviated the anxieties of fishermen and residents still affected by the 2011 disaster. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, in a recent interview with CNN in Tokyo, acknowledged the fears expressed by Japanese fishing groups and local mayors. He emphasized the importance of listening to their concerns and providing explanations.

The IAEA has stated that there is no better alternative for managing the enormous volume of accumulated wastewater since the disaster. Grossi affirmed that they have extensively assessed the policy against the most rigorous standards and are confident in their proposed plan.

The 2011 disaster resulted in the overheating of the reactor cores at the Fukushima plant, contaminating the facility’s water with highly radioactive material. Since then, new water has been pumped in to cool the fuel debris, leading to the accumulation of 1.32 million metric tons of radioactive wastewater. This amount is equivalent to over 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Japanese authorities argue that the release is necessary due to limited storage capacity for the contaminated material and to facilitate the complete decommissioning of the Fukushima nuclear plant.

International scientists have expressed concerns to CNN, stating that there is insufficient evidence of long-term safety. They argue that the release could result in the gradual buildup of tritium, a radioactive hydrogen isotope that cannot be removed from the wastewater, in marine ecosystems and food chains through bioaccumulation.

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