It was announced today by local authorities in an attempt to reassure public opinion. Japan continues to claim that the water from the nuclear plant has been treated, but even Greenpeace recently criticized Tokyo’s plans. So far South Korea has not found any irregularities in the fish products served in schools.
Seoul ( / Agencies) – The Department of Education of the metropolitan city of Seoul will carry out extensive radiation tests on meals served in schools to verify if they are safe, while public opinion continues to express concern about Japan’s plan to dump into the Pacific Ocean the waters of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Korean officials made the announcement today in an attempt to reassure families. The Department of Education had initially planned to carry out sample tests, but decided to carry out full tests when the plan comes to fruition, probably later this year.
In 2013 South Korea banned all fish imports from eight Japanese prefectures near Fukushima, and the government said yesterday that the ban would continue regardless of Tokyo’s measures.
Japan has long maintained that after the nuclear power plant disaster in 2011, due to an earthquake and tsunami, the plant’s waters contaminated by nuclear radiation were treated and thus can be discharged into the ocean. greenpeace recently criticized the decision of the Japanese government, and considers that the release of the waters is detrimental to marine ecology.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety already carries out radiation tests on imported fish, and the National Service for Quality Control of Fishery Products carries out tests on those of Korean origin. Authorities will carry out two to three additional tests on seafood that will be used in school meals in Seoul. The Department of Education reported that it had conducted radiation level tests in 267 schools in 2021 and 370 schools in 2022 and never found any irregularities.
