The government hopes to make a case for the safety of a planned release of treated radioactive water into the sea from the disaster-hit Fukushima nuclear complex when South Korean experts visit the site later this month, the industry minister said Tuesday.
"We hope the inspection will help deepen understanding in South Korea about the safety of the release," Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told a news conference after the two countries' leaders agreed Sunday to dispatch the experts, amid concerns among the South Korean public over the issue.
But Nishimura noted that the purpose of the inspection is "not to evaluate or certify the safety of treated water."