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An activist from the environmental group Green Korea United staged a protest in front of the Embassy of Japan in Seoul, standing next to a water purifier attached to a mock barrel of contaminated Fukushima wastewater on June 7, 2023. (Herald DB) |
South Korean imports of Japanese seafood sank more than 30 percent last month, data showed Monday, amid concerns over Tokyo's planned release of contaminated water from its crippled nuclear power plant.
South Korea imported 2,129 tons of fishery products from the neighboring country in May, down 30.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.
In terms of value, imports inched down 1.8 percent on-year to $14.06 million.
In April, seafood imports dropped 26 percent on-year in terms of volume and marked a 9.7 percent fall in terms of value, according to the data.
The recent fall came as Japan has been preparing to discharge radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was crippled by a massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami, into the sea as early as this month.
South Korea banned all seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures near Fukushima in 2013 on concerns over their radiation levels in the wake of the incident.
South Korea made it clear that it will not lift the ban unless seafood from the area is proven to be safe, saying that the Fukushima water release should be considered separately from the import ban. (Yonhap)
