A coastal city government in southern South Korea plans to expand radiation tests on fish and other marine products ahead of Japan's planned discharge of nuclear wastewater into the ocean.
The local government of Yeosu, about 320 kilometers south of the capital Seoul, will increase the number of radiation tests on the caught marine products this year to 160 from the previous 94, local daily Gwangju Ilbo reported on Tuesday.
The expanded test results will be disclosed to the general public through the city government website, official social media accounts and electronic boards every month.
Yeosu City bought four more portable radiation testers in late May, raising its total inventory to six.
Kim Yung-rok, governor of South Jeolla province, where Yeosu City is located, instructed provincial officials to develop measures to introduce radiation safety certificates on all marine products from fish farms in response to Japan's planned nuclear wastewater release.
Kim ordered the officials to actively consult with the central government to ensure the effectiveness of the measures, according to local media Newsis.
The Japanese government has been pushing for the summer release of the radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was hit by a massive earthquake and an ensuing tsunami in March 2011.
(Cover: Researchers on the inspection team at Gyeonggi-Do Institute of Health and Environment examine the radioactive safety of sea products in Suwon, the capital and largest city of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, June 15, 2023. /CFP)
Source(s): Xinhua News Agency