Dispelling deepening safety concerns is key

The government cannot say that an inspection without substance still promotes national interests.

On Tuesday, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, said that Korea’s inspection ahead of the planned release of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant is meant to “help deepen understanding” about the safety of the treated water. His remarks translate into the Tokyo’s firm intention to not allow a group of Korean experts in radioactivity to assess or verify the safety of the contaminated water to be released into the Pacific.

The minister’s comment was certainly meant to deliver the message the Japanese government will confine the purpose of their visit to the nuclear plant to just “observation.” Tokyo clearly drew the line at their visit slated for May 23. However, it drastically contrasts with Koreans’ growing safety concerns about the release of radioactive materials into the sea.

The minister’s comment also can mean that Tokyo will proceed with the plan regardless of what findings the Korean experts will come up with. During the joint press conference, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida referred to the planned release as “treated water through an advanced liquid processing system” instead of “contaminated water” to apparently minimize negative impression about the release of the water.

Some experts believe that the multiple filtering system could remove most of the radioactive elements including tritium. Some scientists say that most of the radioactive water can be diluted or sink in the Pacific, as it can take up to four years for the released water to reach Jeju Island after the water moves clockwise to the western coast of the United States.

But even if Japan claims to have purified the waters completely, one cannot feel entirely safe. Fish moving between borders can be contaminated and become hazardous to humans through the food chain. Regardless of scientific theory, both governments of Korea and Japan have an obligation to relieve the concerns of the closest neighbor of Japan.

Korea and Japan will be holding director-level talks to act out on the summit agreements. Unlike past issues, what concerns public health and safety are present issues. The Lee Myung-bak administration faced a serious challenge amid the mad cow disease scare with moms joining the protest with kids in their strollers. The public must feel safe, not just be told they are safe.

There is no future if the present cannot feel safe. The Korean government must demand that Japan ease the growing anxieties of the Korean people through the process of verification. The government cannot say that an inspection without substance still promotes national interests. If Tokyo has nothing to hide, it must accept whatever Seoul demands.