Democracy and justice, all-out war against the discharge of contaminated water in Fukushima…seeking solidarity with Pacific Island Countries
Kyunghyang Newspaper (a progressive South Korean newspaper)
2023.06.05 15:40
Reporter Tak Ji-young
Justice Party meeting with the US Green Party at the National Assembly on the 5th. Provided by Justice Party.
(L-R) , Sim Sang-jung, Justice Party 2022 presidential candidate; Howie Hawkins, Green Party US 2020 presidential candidate; Wee Seon-hee, Justice Party Spokesperson; Bae Jin Gyo, Justice Party representative in the National Assembly.
In addition, the Democratic Party and the Justice Party are responding with all-out efforts to oppose the marine discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. The Democratic Party launched an in-hospital countermeasure group for contaminated water in Fukushima on the 5th, and the Justice Party met with the US Green Party and proposed solidarity.
On the same day, the Democratic Party launched the Fukushima Contaminated Water In-House Countermeasures Group headed by Song Ki-heon, the senior deputy floor leader. At the inauguration ceremony held at the National Assembly, Representative Park Kwang-on said, “In the meantime, we have requested the adoption of a resolution urging the power of the people to form a special committee for verification of the National Assembly, to hold a hearing, and to stop the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima.” “The government’s International Maritime Law I will propose once again that the ruling and opposition parties pass a resolution urging the court to request a provisional measure (at the National Assembly) through agreement.”
Park said, “I will actively seek ways to solidify with Pacific Island governments and parliaments, and I will do my best to discuss this issue in depth with lawmakers from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Democratic Party of Japan and come up with joint countermeasures.” said
National Assembly Political Affairs Committee (Kim Jong-min), Science and Technology Information Broadcasting and Communications Committee (Cho Seung-rae), Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee (Lee Jae-jeong), Environment and Labor Committee (Kim Young-jin), Democratic Party Secretary and Song Ki-ho, deputy head of the in-hospital countermeasures group joined with Han Byeong-sup, co-representative of the Nuclear Safety Research Association, Choi Ji-hyeon, a law professor at Jeju National University, Shin Dong-ae, a law professor at Kitakyushu University in Japan, and Hosaka Yuji, a Daewoo professor at Sejong University, were appointed as advisory committee members.
The Democratic Party urged the power of the people to hold a plenary meeting of the five standing committees as soon as possible. In the government questionnaire to be held on the 12th to 14th, the government plans to focus on the government’s response to the discharge of contaminated water. After the inauguration ceremony, floor spokesperson Lee So-young said, “We are also looking into ways to convey the position of the Democratic Party and the opposition party in the Republic of Korea to the IAEA.”
The Justice Party held a meeting with the Green Party of the United States at the National Assembly and proposed a joint response between Korea and the United States. The meeting was attended by US Green Party 2020 presidential candidate Howie Hawkins, California state spokesperson Mike Feinstein, International Special Committee co-chair Austin Bashor, and Green Party youth representative Matthew Schola.
Representative Lee Jeong-mi said, “Radiation-contaminated water is not simply a problem limited to Japan and neighboring countries. It is said that the contaminated water discharged from Fukushima first pollutes the coastal waters of the United States along the Pacific Ocean, an international waterway.” ”he said. After the meeting, the attendees held up placards that read, “We oppose the release of contaminated water in Fukushima!”
In this regard, it was reported that Fiji’s Interior Minister publicly criticized the discharge of contaminated water at an international conference attended by Japanese Defense Minister Hamaa Yasukazu. On the same day, the Asahi Shimbun reported at the 20th Asian Security Conference held in Singapore on the 3rd (local time), in the section on “Security and Order in the Sea,” Fijian Interior Minister Pio Tikoduadua said, “If Japan says the contaminated water is safe, why doesn’t it keep it in Japan? Fiji is very concerned about the release of fish into the sea.”