President Yoon, who voiced his opinion on every major issue, suddenly goes silent on contaminated water

Demonstration Against the Discharge of Contaminated Water in Front of the National Assembly: NGO members take part in a demonstration against the release of contaminated water in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the morning of July 9, when Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), met with the Democratic Party of Korea’s committee to block the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima into the ocean. Yonhap News

President Yoon Suk-yeol is staying low-key, refraining from personally mentioning Japan’s plan to discharge contaminated water from the first unit of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The Office of the President also continued presenting a general response simply stating its basic position on the issue. This has ignited criticism from the opposition and from some members of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), who criticized President Yoon’s passive response.

A key official from the Office of the President met with reporters in the presidential office in Yongsan on July 9 and spoke about the president’s position on the release of contaminated water, which he is expected to announce in the summit with Japan scheduled to take place when the president attends the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit. The official said, “Based on the principle that the health and safety of our people are our top priority, he (the president) will clearly state the government’s position on the issues raised by Japan.” This was similar to what a senior official in the presidential office said on July 6. He said, “If there is any mention from Japan, the president will say what is necessary based on our position and principle that our top priority is the health of our citizens.” Rather than specifically mention the issue, the presidential office appears to be adjusting the level of its public message by reaffirming its major principle, that the people’s health is top priority.

The last time that President Yoon openly mentioned the issue of contaminated water was during a joint press conference following his summit with the Japanese leader in Seoul in May, when they announced the agreement to dispatch a field inspection team of South Korean experts. Since then, the president has refrained from mentioning the issue whenever it stirred controversy, such as when the South Korean inspection team went to Fukushima and when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released its final report.

This was in contrast with how the president shared his specific opinions on major state issues by broadcasting live his remarks in cabinet meetings. He may be trying not to add to the political burden concerning an issue which most of the people are opposed to since he has no clear realistic measure to stop Japan from discharging the contaminated water.

The South Korea-Japan summit scheduled for this week is expected to set the stage for President Yoon to officially state the position of the South Korean government. Given the position announced by the Office of the President so far, it is likely for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to seek understanding and cooperation from South Korea and for President Yoon to mention continuous bilateral cooperation in monitoring and verifying the situation while respecting the Japanese position.

Former PPP legislator Yoo Seong-min wrote on social media, “Why is President Yoon Suk-yeol not saying anything about the release of contaminated water from Fukushima? Is he cowardly hiding, scared of the public’s opposition?” He argued, “He needs to report his thoughts on the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima to the people first, before he meets the Japanese prime minister.”

Kwon Chil-seung, senior spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea said, “The president was scrupulous enough to thoroughly examine CSAT questions and firm in raising his voice to eradicate ‘cartels.’ Can’t he show these traits in representing the position of our people on Japan’s release of nuclear wastewater?” He added, “President Yoon must clearly convey our people’s concerns on the discharge of nuclear wastewater in the upcoming summit.”

On July 10, President Yoon will leave for a six-day trip to attend a NATO meeting in Lithuania and for an official state trip to Poland. He is expected to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of nearly a dozen countries including Norway and the Netherlands as well as Japan during the NATO summit. He will meet with the secretary general of NATO and attend an AP4 (South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand) leaders’ meeting. He is also scheduled to meet with a delegation of U.S. senators.