TOKYO/SEOUL - US President Joe Biden wants to lock in friendly ties between Japan and South Korea at a summit on Friday (Aug 18), but their readiness to shelve grievances will be tested when Tokyo begins pumping water from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. Japan already delayed the release to avoid stirring up political opposition in South...
TOKYO/SEOUL - US President Joe Biden wants to lock in friendly ties between Japan and South Korea at a summit on Friday , but their readiness to shelve grievances will be tested when Tokyo begins pumping water from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.
That puts less domestic political pressure on Yoon, said one of the officials, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue. Even if Fukushima fades as an issue, the risk of bad blood remains real. As relations soured in 2019, for example, Moon nearly scrapped a critical intelligence-sharing deal with Japan, reversing the decision at the last minute under US pressure.
Japan says it will remove most radioactive elements from the water except for tritium, a hydrogen isotope that must be diluted because it is difficult to filter. "Japan has coordinated closely, proactively, with the IAEA on its plans, and they've conducted a science-based and transparent process," he said.Protests against the release have so far been muted, at least by South Korean standards, with just a few hundred people gathering in Seoul on Saturday to demand a halt. The political fallout for Yoon has also been limited; his approval rating has recovered after dipping when Seoul endorsed the IAEA findings.
Beijing has banned seafood imports from 10 Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima, and is testing produce from elsewhere.
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