South Korean experts to visit Japan for review of Fukushima seafood import ban

South Korean experts will visit Japan next week for further investigation before deciding whether to lift an import ban on Japanese marine products imposed following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

During the four-day investigation from Tuesday, the second of its kind since December, a team consisting of South Korean researchers and consumer group representatives will visit wholesale markets in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island, as well as in Aomori and Iwate prefectures in the country’s northeast, to assess inspection procedures for radioactive substances in seafood.

In December, the team visited Tokyo Electric Power’s disaster-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and other locations in the country. The South Korean experts asked for more data from Japan on radiation levels in the ocean to allay safety concerns, farm ministry officials have said.

In September 2013, South Korea announced the expansion of its import ban to include all fishery products from eight Japanese prefectures including Fukushima, citing domestic consumer worries over leaks of toxic water at the Fukushima plant.