The government announced on the 18th that it confirmed there were "no abnormalities" following a radiation and heavy metal contamination impact survey related to wastewater from North Korea's Pyongsan uranium factory on our waters and rivers.
The Nuclear Safety And Security Commission, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and Ministry of Environment collected samples from a total of 10 points, including Ganghwa Island and the Han River estuary, closest to the estuary of the Yesung River flowing from North Korea, on the 4th, analyzing two types of radioactive isotopes, including uranium, and five heavy metals.
In the case of six points in the Ganghwa and Gimpo areas adjacent to the lower reaches of the Yesung River, the uranium levels were found to be relatively low or at similar levels compared to 2019, when there were no significant issues. The same was true for the two points in the Han River and Imjin River estuaries that were not investigated in 2019 and the two points along the Incheon coast.
Similar results were obtained for the investigation of radioactive cesium and five heavy metals. At all points where the survey was conducted, radioactive cesium was confirmed to be below the minimum detectable activity (MDA) or below the levels measured in the Yellow Sea over the past five years. The heavy metals were also confirmed to be below the standard compared to marine environmental criteria or were undetected.
The government stated that for the time being, it will maintain a monthly monitoring system for the seven main points of this survey and actively respond to national concerns at a multi-ministerial level by continuing the inter-agency consultation body.