Japan must stop ocean dumping of Fukushima nuclear wastewater.

Koreans do not want to eat fish contaminated with radiation.

The Pacific Ocean is not Japan’s nuclear waste dump.

South Korean activists and environmental advocates gathered in Tokyo on Friday to demand that Japan immediately stop releasing treated Fukushima nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. The groups stressed that the ocean is “not Japan’s nuclear waste dump” and called on Japanese and South Korean leaders to address the issue during their upcoming summit.

At a press conference held around 3:00 PM in front of the Nippon Press Center, participants declared, “Japan must stop ocean dumping of Fukushima nuclear wastewater” and rejected any push for Korea to resume seafood imports from Japan. Their statement, titled “The South Korean and Japanese leaders should discuss stopping ocean dumping of Fukushima nuclear wastewater and explore land-based disposal through international cooperation,” was issued ahead of the South Korea-Japan summit scheduled for August 23–24. The full statement can be read here.

The timing of the press conference also coincides with the second anniversary of Japan’s controversial wastewater discharge, which began on August 24, 2023.

The delegation, known as the “Japan Struggle Group to Stop Fukushima Nuclear Wastewater Ocean Dumping,” included attorney Kim Young-hee of Minbyun, Lee Jeong-yoon, president of Nuclear Safety and Future, anti-nuclear activist Kim Bok-nyeo, and Choi Ye-yong, director of the Citizens’ Center for Environmental Health. During the press event, attorney Kim displayed a banner featuring the voices and faces of Jeju Haenyeo (female divers), symbolizing the threat nuclear-contaminated water poses to marine livelihoods.

The South Korean delegation also met with members of the Japanese anti-nuclear coalition “Sayonara Nuclear Power Plant 10 Million People Action” to coordinate joint efforts. Both groups plan to join a large rally in front of Shinjuku Station on August 24.

Further actions are scheduled over the weekend. On Saturday, August 23, at 3:30 PM, the Japan Struggle Group will hold a press conference and picket in front of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office, where the Korea-Japan summit is expected to take place. On Sunday, August 24, they will stage another press conference outside Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) headquarters at 2:00 PM, followed by participation in the Shinjuku rally later that evening.

The activists emphasized that continued dumping of Fukushima wastewater threatens marine ecosystems, food safety, and regional trust, urging leaders to pursue international cooperation for safer alternatives such as land-based storage and treatment.