Radioactive levels never exceeded limit in 1st year of Fukushima water release: gov’t

The level of radioactive material in waters around the Korean Peninsula never exceeded the safety limit in the past year since Japan began releasing treated radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, the government said Wednesday. Seven batches of treated radioactive water have been discharged into the Pacific Ocean since August last year, with the eighth batch currently being discharged, Kim Jong-moon, first deputy minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said in a written briefing. In that period, South Korea has completed 49,633 tests on radioactive levels. "There was not a single case that exceeded the radioactive safety criteria in the tests on our waters, fisheries and ballast waters," Kim said. "There was also no indication of public concern, such as a sharp decline in fisheries consumption or hoarding." The government will continue to thoroughly monitor the discharge of contaminated water to ensure it is proceeding according to plan, given it is a long pr ocess and directly affects people's health and safety, Kim said. Source: Yonhap News Agency