Multiple parties and civic groups in South Korea rallied in the country's capital on Saturday protesting against Japan's plans to release water contaminated in the Fukushima nuclear accident into the Pacific Ocean and demanding the government in Seoul opposes the discharge.

The rally came a day after the South Korean government formally endorsed the safety of the Japanese plans, which said that the contamination levels of the water would be within acceptable standards and would not meaningfully affect the seas around South Korea if the Japanese treatment systems work as designed.

The announcement aligned with the views of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which issued a report on July 4 saying the radiological impact of discharges of the treated water on the environment and population in neighboring countries would be "negligible" and consistent with international safety standards.

The protestors, who included members of the country's Justice Party, Progressive Party, and several social and environmental organizations, marched around areas including outside the Embassy of Japan in Seoul and denounced the IAEA for giving the Japanese government a "greenlight."

They argued that the IAEA's report was irresponsible, as it not only failed to verify the performance of the Japanese multi-nuclide removal equipment, but also made it clear that it would not take any responsibility for the results of the report.

They also criticized the South Korean government for reneging on its obligation to protect its citizens.

A survey conducted by South Korea's Hankook Ilbo and Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspapers showed that more than 80 percent of South Korean citizens oppose the discharge of Fukushima's nuclear-contaminated water, but according to protestors the government and its ruling party have been acting in a one-sided manner without any regard for the opinions of the public.

"It is a matter of conscience, a matter of responsibility for children in the future, our future generations and for the lives to come," a resident from Seoul told China Media Group.

The Japanese government has been pushing to dump the contaminated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was hit by a massive earthquake and an ensuing tsunami in March 2011, this summer.

The move has aroused strong opposition and doubts from domestic fishing groups, neighboring countries and South Pacific island countries, as well as the international community.

(Cover: Protestors rally outside the Embassy of Japan in Seoul, South Korea, July 8, 2023. /CFP)