South Korea needs to consider lifting an import ban on Japanese fishery goods if public concerns over their safety are cleared, a Seoul official said Thursday.
Since September 2013, Seoul has banned imports of Japanese fish caught near the site of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear reactor accident due to concerns about radioactive contamination from the plant.
Commissioned by Seoul, a group of civilian experts launched a second round of on-spot inspections this week into Japanese fishery products to help the government decide whether to keep or ease the ban.
The official at the foreign ministry said that nothing has been decided over whether or when the Seoul government would ease the import ban, given the inspection is underway.
"If (safety) concerns are all dispelled, I believe there is the need to ease the ban in the near future," the official said, asking not to be named. "But currently, nothing has been decided over the issue."
South Korea's ministry of food and drug safety has the final say on deciding whether to remove the ban.
His remarks come amid growing calls to improve the stagnant bilateral relations that have been beset by Japan's refusal to face up to its wartime history. Seoul and Tokyo are trying to mend ties first in non-political sectors.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of Seoul-Tokyo ties. Korea was under Japan's colonial rule from 1910-45.
Noh Kwang-il, spokesman at the foreign ministry, said that Seoul will decide whether to ease the ban based on scientific evidence and public safety consideration.
Touching on China's move to set up an infrastructure development bank, the official said that South Korea is carefully weighing the merits of joining the bank.
Since late October, China has clinched preliminary deals with more than 20 countries to establish the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) that will be used to finance massive development projects in Asia.
China is seeking to set up the bank as a counterbalance to the Asian Development Bank, led by the United States and Japan. Seoul has been wary of joining the bank so far, saying that details about the governance structure need to be clarified.
"If Seoul joins the bank, it may have to chip in about 1 trillion won ($923.7 million). The government is carefully considering whether to join it by gauging what actual benefits we can get," the official said.
The U.S. remains seen as uncomfortable with Seoul's possible move to join the AIIB as it believes China's move to set up the bank is aimed at raising its economic clout in Asia.
South Korea has been explaining to Washington that Seoul could face burdens in doing its diplomacy with other Asian countries if it stays away from the AIIB, given that infrastructure projects in Asia require massive financing. (Yonhap)
