Lawmakers from the opposition parties of Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) issued a joint statement on Wednesday against the release of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The statement said the lawmakers called on the Japanese government to suspend plans of releasing nuclear-contaminated water into the sea and make all its efforts to solve the problem through international cooperation.

It also said the Japanese government ignored its promises with the fishermen and pushed the nuclear-contaminated water discharge plan to the trial operation stage.

The release of nuclear-contaminated water could last longer than the 30 years originally planned, and the total amount of radioactive material is still unclear, according to the statement.

As for the International Atomic Energy Agency's comprehensive assessment report to the Japanese government, the statement said the report only met its safety assessment indicators and did not discuss environmental impacts.

(Cover: People take part in a joint rally to protest Japan's Fukushima discharge plan in Seoul, Republic of Korea, July 10, 2023. /CFP)