- Title: South Koreans protest on beach against Japan's Fukushima water release
- Date: 24th August 2023
- Summary: BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA (AUGUST 24, 2023) (REUTERS) SOUTH KOREA'S ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP ACTIVISTS HOLDING LETTERS READING (English): "STOP / SAVE OUR SEAS" / WAVES CRASHING ON HAEUNDAE BEACH ACTIVISTS ON RUBBER BOAT HOLDING FLAGS ACTIVISTS ON BEACH HOLDING LARGE LETTERS READING (English): "SAVE OUR SEAS" / ACTIVISTS ON BOATS IN BACKGROUND ACTIVISTS ON RUBBER BOATS HOLDING FLAGS ACTIVISTS HOLDING LETTERS READING (English): "STOP / SAVE OUR SEAS" VARIOUS OF ACTIVISTS LYING DOWN ON YELLOW PLASTIC SHEETS WITH RADIOACTIVE MARKS ACTIVISTS HOLDING PLACARD OF RADIOACTIVE MARK INTO SEA ACTIVISTS HOLDING LETTERS AND CHANTING (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) PROTEST ORGANISER AND MEMBER OF KOREAN FEDERATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT IN BUSAN, MIN EUN-JU, SAYING: "Busan citizens are here today to prevent the destruction of the marine ecosystem and food. We started this boat campaign to form international pressure as much as possible for our safety and food." ACTIVISTS PUTTING YELLOW PLASTIC SHEET WITH RADIOACTIVE MARKS ON BEACH RADIOACTIVE MARK ON SHEET YELLOW PLASTIC SHEET WITH RADIOACTIVE MARKS ON BEACH ACTIVISTS SETTING DOWN YELLOW DRUM CANS WITH RADIOACTIVE MARKS ACTIVIST HOLDING PICKETS READING (Japanese, Korean, English): "WE DO NOT WANT TO EAT FISH CONTAMINATED WITH FUKUSHIMA NUKE WASTE! / NO OCEAN DUMPING! / THE PACIFIC OCEAN IS NOT A DUMPING SITE FOR FUKUSHIMA NUKE WASTE!" VARIOUS OF ACTIVISTS CHANTING ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP ACTIVIST, PARK JONG-KWON, HOLDING BANNER READING (Korean): "WE WANT TO DIE IN OUR BED" (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP ACTIVIST, PARK JONG-KWON, SAYING: "I'm furious about (Japan's) sudden announcement (of water release), and it's baffling. I'm even more angry about our President (Yoon Suk Yeol) who has been silent about this. I live down by the sea, so I like fish. However, I will reduce the number of fish I eat, but I'm more worried about whether we should really let our children eat (seafood).†FISHING BOAT PASSING BY MAN AND BOY WALKING ON BEACH PEOPLE AT HAEUNDAE BEACH WOMEN LOOKING AT MOBILE PHONE ON BEACH (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 20-YEAR-OLD UNIVERSITY STUDENT, KIM MIN-JOO, SAYING: "I come to the beach every summer and winter. From now on I'll be more careful about playing in the sea. I often eat raw fish and seafood, but I'm now worried about eating seafood in the future, so I will eat less seafood." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ON BEACH WAVES CRASHING YELLOW DRUM CANS WITH RADIOACTIVE MARKS ON BEACH
- Embargoed: 7th September 2023 07:40
- Keywords: Busan Fukushima Haeundae Japan South Korea activist beach boat discharge environmental group protest release sea water
- Location: BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA
- City: BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA
- Country: South Korea
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Pollution,Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA001666324082023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:South Korea's environmental groups held a rally on Haeundae beach in Busan on Thursay (August 24), to protest against Japan's Fukushima water release.
More than 30 activists were seen chanting and waving flags on the beach and on boats while placing yellow plastic sheets with radioactive marks on the beach to symbolise the ocean contaminated by the water released from Fukushima.
The protest occurred as Japan on Thursday started releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, a polarising move that prompted China to announce an immediate blanket ban on all seafood imports from Japan.
Public concern remains high in South Korea over the Japan's plan, with a majority of people expressing worry over seafood and ocean contamination.
In a July public survey by the pollster Media Research, 62% of the people said they would cut back or stop consuming seafood once the discharge goes ahead, despite the South Korean government's assurances to closely monitor the release.
(Production: Daewoung Kim, Minwoo Park) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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