South Korea once again voiced concerns about Japan's planned release of radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.

Its Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the South Korean government has conveyed its concerns to Japan and asked Japan to provide transparent security information on the wastewater and take responsible measures to tackle it.

It also noted that South Korea on multilateral occasions has requested the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) to conduct transparent and objective safety verification, and that South Korean experts and research institutes are actively participating in IAEA's verification activities.

The government is also reviewing the obligations of the Japanese government and the procedures for resolving disputes in accordance with international law, and listening to the opinions of international law experts and scientists at home and abroad to understand the legal and factual situation, the ministry added.

The Japanese government announced last year that it would release 1.25 million tons of treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, and announced weeks ago that the discharge would start around this spring or summer, which has sparked widespread criticism both at home and abroad.

Environmental groups, fisheries organizations, and neighboring countries immediately condemned the decision, concerning the possible impact of the discharge on marine life and fisheries.

The head of the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements, a South Korean nongovernmental environmental organization, said that the release of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea would set a very negative precedent if it goes ahead.

The South Korean government has completely banned the import of marine products caught in the Japanese waters near the Fukushima prefecture. And said it will strengthen radiation checks and the country origin mark of imported marine products while expanding the origin labeling in restaurants.

Chinese Foreign Ministry had also urged Japan to stop its plan to force the dump of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, saying the marine environment concerns the interests of the international community as a whole, and the discharge of the nuclear-contaminated water is not a matter for Japan to decide alone.

Secretary General Henry Puna of Pacific Islands Forum said that the Japanese government had pledged to maintain communication with Pacific Island countries on the disposal of the nuclear-contaminated water and to provide all independent and verifiable scientific evidence on the issue. However, the Japanese government went against its promise to not go ahead with the discharge without Pacific leaders' approval.

Puna has indicated that Japan could lose its status as a Pacific Islands Forum Dialogue Partner over the lack of information on the dumping plan.