Asia-Pacific

S. Korea won't sue Japan for dumping radioactive water

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-04-06 15:45

SEOUL -- The South Korean government on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of accusing Japan of violating international laws for releasing water tainted with radiation from its earthquake-damaged nuclear plant, local media reported.

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Officials from the ministries concerned, including the foreign ministry and the science ministry, met earlier in the day to discuss possible responses to Japan's discharge of water contaminated with low-level radiation, which caused a stir in neighboring South Korea already wary of radiation detected in the atmosphere.

Though the government has been reviewing international laws and treaties possibly applicable to the issue in case the radioactive water does cause any environmental damage here, officials agreed it would be "difficult" to take legal action against Japan, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Under mounting public criticism for belated responses, officials also reportedly discussed ways to improve information- sharing with Japanese authorities, who did not give a prior notice to South Korea about its plan to dump some 11,500 tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean.

Officials have said that they would have to rely on experts for determining the actual scope of potential environmental damage by the tainted water, which is said to contain the level of radioactivity at least 100 times higher than the legal limit.