The International Atomic Energy Agency said Tuesday it will regularly inform the South Korean government about Japan's discharge of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea.
The two sides have agreed to set up the information-sharing framework to address public concern in South Korea, with Japan set to start releasing the water on Thursday, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in a press release.
While the planned discharge has raised concern among local fishermen and neighboring countries, the IAEA said Japan's plans "are consistent with IAEA Safety Standards, which serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment."
The agency, which has set up a permanent office at the plant, will continue to monitor the water discharge to ensure it meets international safety standards and will "provide up-to-date information" to South Korea, the press release said.
The IAEA will also publish near real-time monitoring data on the discharge, it said.
The IAEA and the South Korean government are also planning to hold online meetings periodically, while South Korean experts will regularly visit the agency's office at the plant, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
"The only way to address legitimate concerns of the public is to keep them informed," Grossi said in the statement.
Since a nuclear crisis at the plant triggered by a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, water used in cleanup efforts has been stored in more than 1,000 tanks installed at the site.
In a safety review report released by the IAEA in July, the organization said "the discharges of the treated water would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment."
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