SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung called on President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday to publicly declare South Korea will not import agricultural and fisheries products from Japan's Fukushima region over radiation concerns.
South Korea has banned imports of all seafood and some agricultural products from the region since 2013 due to concerns over their possible radiation contamination following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown after an earthquake and a tsunami.
But some have raised speculation that the government of President Yoon could resume imports from Fukushima, following Japanese news reports that it was one of the unannounced topics during Yoon's summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier this month.
"In order to relieve people's concerns, I hope the president will publicly declare that it is impossible to import agro-fisheries products from Fukushima," Lee said in a party meeting. "The Democratic Party will make sure that radiation-contaminated products will not be put on our dining tables."
Main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung speaks at a party meeting at the National Assembly on March 27, 2023. (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
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