Thousands of South Koreans refuse to release Fukushima water

After years of debate, Tokyo intends to dump the stored water into the Pacific Ocean after the 2011 nuclear disaster.

Thousands of South Koreans demonstrated in Seoul on Saturday against Japan’s plans to dump radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean because of the food safety risks the spill might cause.

Protesters are concerned that releasing the water will increase food security risks for South Koreans and also harm the environment.

Activists gathered near Seoul City Hall, chanting and holding banners. Japan plans to start releasing the water into the ocean at the end of August.

The demonstrators participated in chanting slogans and listened to the speeches of the organizers of the demonstration. The protests were peaceful and there were no reports of clashes or riots.

One of the activist organizations that started the demonstration, Korea Radiation Watch, said the release of the water would “ultimately destroy the marine ecosystem”.

The earthquake and subsequent tsunami (caused by the earthquake) in 2011 damaged the Fukushima plant, releasing a huge amount of radioactive material into the atmosphere.

Saturday’s demonstration was the latest in a week of protests since the International Atomic Energy Agency approved Japan’s offloading plans in July, saying the operation would meet international safety standards.

Japan’s plan to get rid of nuclear wastewater from Fukushima is supported by the conservative South Korean President Yoon Sok-yul. However, some Koreans believe that doing so would jeopardize environmental health and safety.