SEOUL/TOKYO, Aug. 23 (Yonhap) -- Discussions are underway in Japan regarding the potential release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, with a Japanese media report on Wednesday suggesting that this could commence as early as 1 p.m. on Thursday.
As reported by Japan's Kyodo News, both the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) have engaged in discussions regarding the scheduled release of water from the Fukushima plant, which is anticipated to begin on Thursday afternoon.
Local authorities in Japan have been conducting checks since Tuesday to ensure the proper dilution of the water in accordance with the planned procedure. TEPCO has already transported approximately 1 ton of treated water to a dilution facility and subsequently mixed it with 1,200 tons of seawater.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made an announcement on Tuesday, stating that the commencement of the Fukushima water release is scheduled for Thursday. Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency granted final approval to the discharge plan, affirming its alignment with international standards.
South Korea has conveyed its view that it doesn't identify any scientific or technical hurdles in Japan's proposal to discharge radioactive water from the compromised plant into the ocean.
Seoul has outlined its intention to request an immediate halt to the discharge if the concentration of radioactive substances in the water surpasses prescribed levels, and to expect swift communication from Japan to South Korea in such an event.
The two neighboring governments have additionally reached an agreement to establish a "double hotline" connecting their regulatory and diplomatic authorities, which would facilitate the rapid exchange of information should any abnormal situation arise at the discharge facilities.
Later on Wednesday, a South Korean official stated that the government will be meticulously prepared, operating under the assumption that the water release plan could initiate at any given moment.
"We will be fully attentive to the water release once it is officially initiated," remarked Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, during a daily briefing concerning the Fukushima matter.
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