North Korea lambasts Japan over Fukushima

Sept. 4 (UPI) -- North Korea slammed a Japanese plan to discharge highly radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, calling the plan a recipe for an "outrageous nuclear disaster."

Korean Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun stated Wednesday the controversial plan, which could be being reviewed in Tokyo, is an "anti-humanitarian act" that needs to be rescinded immediately.

Japan's original plan was to release into the Pacific Ocean some of the 1.09 million tons of highly radioactive water from Fukushima. Last month, Greenpeace condemned Tokyo for the plan, calling it "motivated by short-term cost-cutting," according to the South China Morning Post.

Pyongyang said Wednesday the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was being selfish and putting neighboring countries at risk.

"More than a few countries operate nuclear power stations, but only one country, Japan, would threaten the survival of other nations and people by carelessly throwing away radioactive water into the sea for national profit," the Rodong said.

North Korea also claimed people on the Korean Peninsula would suffer the most damage.

"The island nation gang [Japan] that brought our people unparalleled misery and suffering are now trying to cover up their nuclear disaster with radioactive pollution," the Rodong said, adding Japan should immediate withdraw plans to discharge radioactive water into the sea.

Tokyo may be postponing the plans, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

Government officials in Japan told diplomats representing 22 countries, including South Korea, they are still mulling their options on discharging the water.

The water, currently stored in tanks in Fukushima, will be disposed of with "transparency" in mind, Tokyo said.

Controversy remains over Japan's Advanced Liquid Processing System plant at Fukushima, which treats water but still leaves higher than permitted levels of strontium-90 in the treated water.