The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said he "certainly" hopes South Korean experts will participate in the U.N. nuclear watchdog's monitoring of Japan's scheduled release of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima power plant, according to Yonhap News Agency. 

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi made the remarks during an interview with the media outlet in South Korea via video link Tuesday, as Seoul is seeking to join the IAEA-led verification efforts amid growing concerns over Tokyo's plans to discharge Fukushima's tritium-laced water into the Pacific Ocean.