Fukushima Water Release Prompts South Korea to Review BWE Standards


Requirements implemented by Korean authorities on Ballast water management in reaction to release of treated wastewater from Fukushima nuclear power plant.




In order to prevent the inflow of possible radioactive ballast water into Korean waters arising from discharge of treated wastewater from Fukushima nuclear powerplant, the following measures are to be implemented.

Effective Date: From August 24, 2023, this measure will take effect without exception on weekends, nights and holidays.

The vessel subject to regulations: Vessels that are entering the ports of Republic of Korea after uptaking ballast water in the ports belong to Aomori Prefecture, Iwate Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, Ibaragi Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture in the eastern coast of Japan.




1. Vessels planning to enter Korean ports after taking on ballast water from six Eastern ports in Japan. (Aomori, Iwate, Fukushima, Miyagi, Ibaraki, Chiba)

Action required: Submission of a ballast water reporting form* 24 hours prior to entering the Korean port. (*Including details related to the management of ballast water, such as the uptake, treatment, and discharge, etc.). There will be guidance from the local agents when they request the vessel for the necessary documents for port clearance, and the details will be entered into PORT-MIS by the agent.

- Falsifying a ballast water reporting from or making a fraudulent entry in the BWMS operation record could lead to detention or fines for negligence in accordance with "Ballast Water Management Act."

2. Vessels planning to discharge ballast water in Korean waters after taking on ballast water from six Eastern prefectures in Japan.

Action required: Exchange their Ballast water outside of Korean jurisdictional waters* before entering the Korean port. (*The exchange operation must take place between the passage of Tsugaru Strait and 135°30’E when sailing northward, such as passing Tsugaru Strait. When the vessel sails southward, such as through the Kanmon Strait, the exchange must be made between 34°35’N and 132°30’E.)

- The officers of Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office will carry out on-board inspection to check whether the Ballast water has been exchanged or not. They will take one (1) liter sample of ballast water and conduct a test to check radioactivity using mobile radioactive measuring equipment. This test will take about an hour. Discharge of ballast water allowed after passing of the test. If the Ballast water exchange has not been made, or if the test result is positive, the discharge of the Ballast water will be prohibited.

3. Vessels without a plan to discharge ballast water into Korean waters after taking on ballast water from six Eastern prefectures in Japan.




Action required: Submit data proving non-discharge of ballast water, to the person in charge of the relevant Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office via email at least an hour before departure.

Documental proof includes the followings:

- Ballast water record book

- Log book

- BWMS operation record

- Ballast water tank capacity (photos).

- The relevant Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office will review the submitted documents to verify non-discharge status prior to departure (onboard investigation may be conducted if necessary). Vessel departure is only permitted following verification of ballast water status.

** Implementation No. 1 and 2 of the above are generally no different from the requirements for reporting ballast water and replacing the water in the open sea, already required for all vessels prior to the release of treated wastewater from Fukushima nuclear plant. However, there is an addition to implementation 2 which points out supplementary areas for the replacement of ballast water for vessels departing from six ports of eastern Japan.



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