South Korea says respects IAEA review of Japan's Fukushima wastewater plan

FILE PHOTO: Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, second left, arrives to inspect the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant as Tomoaki Kobayakawa, President of Tokyo Electric Power Co., third left, escorts him in Futaba, northeastern Japan, Wednesday, July 5, 2023. Hiro Komae/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea's government said on Friday it respected the U.N. nuclear energy watchdog's review of Japan's plan to discharge treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean and said it met international standards.

Seoul announced its own assessment after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gave the greenlight this week to Japan's plan, despite concerns over safety in some neighbouring countries and signs of a consumer backlash.