IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi presents a comprehensive report on the planned ocean discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during their meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on July 4th. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 4 (Korea Bizwire) —On July 4, Kyodo News reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had issued a final report on the plan to discharge contaminated water from Fukushima into the ocean, stating that it was in line with safety standards.
According to the IAEA report, the release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant would have minimal radiation impact on humans and the environment.
The IAEA has previously released six interim reports, all of which found no issues with Japan’s plans to treat and release the contaminated water. The Japanese government intends to use the IAEA’s final report to gain support from neighboring countries, including South Korea.
However, concerns persist regarding the reliability of the report. There are suspicions that the Japanese government may have influenced the IAEA’s findings, and even the Chinese government has expressed disagreement.
Earlier, two South Korean investigative media outlets, Mindle News and Citizen Press, commonly known as grassroots citizen journalism platforms, reported allegations of collusion between the Japanese government and the IAEA. The reports were based on information from an anonymous informant named Jorseti, believed to be an insider at the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
Jorseti explained, providing evidence in the form of attached photos of the cover and table of contents of a copy of the ‘IAEA comprehensive report on ALPS-treated water at Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station’ to support the veracity of his report.
He emphasized the significance of this evidence, stating that it should not be in the possession of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and expressed concerns about potential collusion between the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the IAEA, which could compromise the well-being of humanity in exchange for a €1 million bribe.
The source further disclosed that Japanese Foreign Ministry officials have been actively searching for a leaker following reports on the ‘conclusion of absolute safety of nuclear contaminated water’ and suspicions of tampering with the final report through bribery involving the Japanese government and the IAEA.
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Japan
At a press conference held in Seoul, Mindle News and Citizen Press informed foreign journalists that the Japanese government provided the IAEA with at least €1 million in funding before the agency received the official final report from IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. They also claimed that the Japanese government obtained a draft of the final report beforehand and requested redactions in sensitive areas.
The IAEA responded to these allegations by stating that it is common practice to receive additional funding for specific purposes from member states beyond their regular contributions.
However, the IAEA did not confirm whether it received €1 million. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it would inquire about the leaked report’s authenticity but did not mention the €1 million grant to the IAEA. The media outlets concluded that the IAEA indeed received the €1 million from the Japanese government, considering it a longstanding practice.
On June 22, Japan’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the report as “fake news,” emphasizing its factual inaccuracy and strongly opposing the irresponsible dissemination of such information.
Regarding the credibility of the IAEA report, the South Korean government has taken a principled stance, acknowledging the IAEA’s status as the United Nations’ highest authority in nuclear safety without explicitly confirming its trust in the report.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
