hankyoreh

August 1. It was recently reported that water from the accident had been leaking into the Pacific Ocean.

A senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs official touched off a controversy by arguing to lift a South Korean ban of seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures near Fukushima, the site of a 2011 nuclear power plant disaster.

“It looks like we should be narrowing differences between governments in factor of lifting [the ban],” the official was quoted as saying.

Speaking with reporters on Jan. 15, the official noted that South Korean experts “are conducting due diligence because of the weak legal justification.”

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) placed the ban on all seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima, ahead of the Chuseok holiday in Sept. 2013 after domestic consumption dropped amid growing fears of contamination with water from the power plant.

The ministry might have moved too hastily to discuss lifting the ban, noting that South Korean experts have yet to finish their on-site investigation. In response to the controversy, the official stressed that “no course of action or timeline had been decided.”

“We’re not talking about lifting the regulations the moment the research concludes that Japanese seafood isn’t hazardous,” the official added.

The official also addressed the issue of South Korea’s participation in the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

“We are a country in Asia, and the US is aware that there is a serious shortage of funds for developing Asian infrastructure,” the official said. “We’re explaining to the US that it would pose a burden on Asian diplomacy if South Korea were not part of that system.”

The remarks hinted that Seoul is leaning toward joining the AIIB effort. Washington has previously expressed its disapproval of the move, citing transparency issues in the bank’s management.

By Yi Yong-in, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]