Democratic Party seeks to address Fukushima wastewater issue in UN

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea is working towards adopting a National Assembly resolution to bring the issue of the release of Fukushima wastewater to the agenda of the upcoming September session of the United Nations General Assembly. The Coalition of the Korean People for Economic Democratization and Peaceful Unification of the Korean Peninsula, a group comprising Democratic Party lawmakers with Rep. Kim Geun-tae as a leader, held a press conference on Tuesday, announcing their plan to introduce a bill to highlight the urgency and significance of the issue and ensure that the release of nuclear wastewater is addressed as a crucial agenda item in the United Nations.

The Coalition, one of the largest factions within the Democratic Party, intends to present a bill to the National Assembly’s Committee for Foreign Affairs and Unification on Wednesday, with additional lawmakers who express their interest in joining the initiative. The bill reportedly urges the Korean government to actively engage in foreign affairs to ensure that the wastewater release issue is included in the agenda of the U.N. General Assembly. It also proposes the idea of sending a group of Korean lawmakers to the U.N. to appeal to the Chairman of the U.N. General Assembly and the U.N. Secretary General the importance of adopting the release of wastewater as a crucial agenda item. During the general meeting of the National Assembly’s Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans, and Fisheries Committee, the Democratic Party unilaterally passed a resolution, in the face of the opposition from the People Power Party, that urges the government to file a lawsuit at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and request appropriate provisional measures.

Floor Leader Yoon Jae-ok of the People Power Party expressed criticism towards the Democratic Party, highlighting its lack of representative authority. “The opposition party’s disregard for the government’s authority in foreign affairs undermines the coherence of the state’s diplomatic efforts,” an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the Democratic Party’s move.


Hoon-Sang Park tigermask@donga.com · Na-Ri Shin journari@donga.com