South Korea yesterday said that it would double radiation testing of some Japanese food imports due to potential contamination from the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.
Relations between the two US allies are at their worst in years, with a trade row rooted in a decades-old dispute over compensation for South Koreans forced to work during Japan’s wartime occupation of the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea has stepped up demands this month for a Japanese response to concerns that food produced in the Fukushima area and nearby sea could be contaminated by radiation from the nuclear power plant, which was severely damaged by a 2011 earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said that it would double the frequency of testing of any food products with a history of being returned in the past five years after trace amounts of radiation were detected.
“As public concerns about radioactive contamination have been rising recently, we are planning a more thorough inspection starting August 23,” ministry Director-General Lee Seoung-yong said.
The affected food imports from Japan would be relatively minimal, as only about 2 tonnes are returned out of about 190,000 tonnes of total Japanese food imports annually, Lee said.
An official at the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said that Japanese food products were safe and the increased radiation testing was unnecessary.
“Safety of Japanese food items has been secured and no additional restrictions are necessary. Many countries have agreed with this and got rid of import restrictions completely... It is very regrettable that these additional measures will be implemented,” the official said.
The organizers of next year’s Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday said that the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee had sent a letter expressing concern over the possibility of produce grown in Fukushima Prefecture being served to athletes in the Olympic Village.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday summoned the economy minister from the Japanese embassy in Seoul over media reports and international environmental groups’ claims that Japan plans to release contaminated water from the Fukushima plant into the ocean.
In April, South Korea won the bulk of an appeal in a dispute at the WTO over import bans and testing requirements it had imposed on Japanese seafood in the wake of the 2011 disaster.
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