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| Wade Allison, a British physicist and emeritus professor of physics and fellow of Keble College at Oxford University, speaks during a press conference at the HJ Business Center in Seoul, May 15. Yonhap |
By Lee Kyung-min
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), a government-funded research institute, issued a disclaimer, Friday, distancing itself from a controversial comment made by an Oxford physicist on the safety of Fukushima wastewater two weeks ago.
Their press release said that the treated wastewater is not safe enough to drink, and the professor's statement that he would drink many liters of the water does not in any way represent the view of the institute.
This is the latest development in the Fukushima wastewater controversy, which is increasingly putting diplomatic and political pressure on the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.
On May 15, Wade Allison, a British physicist and emeritus professor of physics and fellow of Keble College at Oxford University, said that he would drink as much as 10 liters of Fukushima water.
The professor was in Korea for a book tour. He is the author of "Nuclear is for Life: A Cultural Revolution" and "Radiation and Reason: The Impact of Science on a Culture of Fear."
He said the more the government says the water is safe, the more doubtful the public responses become, during a press conference.
But he fell short of explaining why the Japanese government is reluctant to let the public drink the "safe" water or use it domestically.
Further fueling the safety concerns were comments made by KAERI President Joo Han-gyu during a National Assembly session May 24.
Joo said during the Science, ICT and Communications Committee that he would issue a press release informing the public that the wastewater should not be consumed since its radioactivity safe limit far exceeds the level allowed in drinking water.
"The wastewater is 62 times higher in becquerel (Bq), a unit of radioactivity, than drinking water," Joo said during the session. "Professor Allison's remarks on Fukushima water were his personal opinion and do not reflect the view of our institute." In the International System of Units, 1 Bq is 1 disintegration per second (dps).
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