Vice FM Choi relays S. Korea's concerns over Fukushima water during visit to Colombia

SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun has relayed South Korea's concerns over Japan's plan to release radioactive water into the sea during his visit to Colombia early this week, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

He explained Seoul's position on Tokyo's planned discharge of the contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, when he met with his Colombian counterpart, Francisco Echeverri, the ministry said in a release.

Choi also mentioned the issue when he paid courtesy calls on Colombian Vice President Marta Lucia Ramirez and Foreign Minister Claudia Blum, the ministry said.

In the talks with the officials, Choi highlighted the need for Seoul to take part in the IAEA-led monitoring and asked for Colombia's understanding and cooperation as a country that shares the Pacific Ocean, it said.

On bilateral relations, Choi and Echeverri discussed efforts to achieve substantive cooperation in trade and investment, health, medicine, science and digital technology to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.

Choi is on a nine-day trip to Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico this week, as part of efforts to expand cooperation with the Latin American countries. He will return next Monday.

elly@yna.co.kr
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