Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant and controversy

- Deposit Borrowing-Parth Dave

South Korea has been angered by the decision to release 1 million tonnes of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. The mixing of Fukushima's radioactive water into the sea has sparked protests from those involved in the fishing industry as well as those concerned with the environment. However, Japan has announced that this water will be filtered and released into the sea so as not to harm the marine environment. Yet countries including South Korea and China have opposed the decision. Near the Japanese embassy in Seoul, South Korea, some students demonstrated their anger by shaving their heads in front of the Japanese embassy. The 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan caused an accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant and also hit the fishing industry. The tragedy is said to be the biggest since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) will begin pumping water into the ocean two years later. However, filtering water can take decades. Tepco has been battling the rise of contaminated water to bring three reactors under control since the 2011 earthquake. The United States, meanwhile, has backed Japan's decision, saying "the same system is being used to dispose of contaminated water around the world. Japan has adopted its own approach to nuclear safety standards and the Japanese government has been transparent in its decisions.