SEOUL: The Japanese and South Korean governments said Saturday that they have agreed that a South Korean delegation will visit Japan for four days to inspect treated water at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s disaster-crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

The accord came during talks between the two governments in Seoul on Friday, after Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, at their meeting on Sunday, agreed on the dispatch of such an inspection team.

The Japanese government has explained that South Korean experts and others are expected to visit Japan as early as May 23.

In South Korea, there are persistent concerns about Japan’s plan to release treated water from the Fukushima plant into the ocean.

At a press conference on Friday, South Korean officials said the purpose of the planned inspection is to check the safety of the entire water release process.

The talks in Seoul started shortly past 2 p.m. Friday (5 a.m. GMT) and lasted until around 2 a.m. Saturday, according to South Korean media reports. However, details of the inspection tour were left for later discussions.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry said that the South Korean side actively and sincerely engaged in the talks to realize the inspection team’s prompt visit to Japan.

Meanwhile, the Japanese side described the talks as a “briefing session,” showing a gap between the positions of the two sides.

JIJI Press