Tension flares with Japan over Korea’s fisheries import ban

[기사요약] 

지난주, 우리 정부가 후쿠시마 인근 8개 현에서 들어오는 수산물에 대해 수입금지를 조치를 취했다. 이에 일본 수산청 간부가 항의성 방문을 발표하고, 일본이 “한국의 일방적인 금수조치”에 WTO에 제소를 하는 방안을 검토하고 있다고 하면서, 과연 또 양국간의 다른 외교적인 문제로 번질 수 있는 가능성이 제기되고 있다.


The Japanese government is moving to protest South Korea’s ban on all fisheries products from Fukushima and adjacent regions for fear of radioactive exposure, posing another strain on the bilateral relations already frayed by historical rows.

*adjacent: 가까운, 인접한
*bilateral: 양자간의
*fray: 헤지다
*row: 분쟁

A high-ranking official at Japan’s Fisheries Agency is set to visit South Korea on Monday in an apparent move to pressure Seoul into lifting the import ban, reports said.

*lift ban: 금지를 풀다
*In an apparent move: ~한 움직임(의도)으로 보인다.

Kenji Kagawa, director-general of Resources Enhancement Promotion Department, will request the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety officials in Sejong City to explain the basis of the restriction, according to the reports.

The agency is also reviewing plans to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization if it does not receive an “acceptable” explanation for the ban, Japan’s Sankei Shimbun reported.

*file a complaint with:~에 제소하다
*acceptable explanation: 납득이 갈만한 설명

Last week, the Korean government placed import bans on 50 fisheries in Fukushima and seven other prefectures ― Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Iwate, Tochigi, Chiba and Aomori ― as public apprehension aggravated over the “lax safety control” of fisheries products.

*place ban: 금지 조치를 취하다
*prefecture: (일본의) 현
*apprehension: 우려, 불안
*aggravate: 악화시키다
*lax: 느슨한

Along with the ban, the Korean government lowered the allowed the level of radiation in fisheries products from 370 becquerels per kilogram to 100 becquerels.

*level of radiation: 방사능 수치

Korea is the latest to join a series of import bans from Japan’s neighboring countries.

*a series of: 일련의, 연이은
*neighboring: 이웃한

Immediately after the nuclear accident in 2011, China and Taiwan banned the imports of seafood, dairy and vegetable products from Japan. But no legal countermeasure was taken by the Japanese government.

*legal countermeasure: 법적 대응, 법적 조치
(Take legal actions/countermeasures: 법적 조치를 취하다)

Public criticism has been high here over the government’s lax standards on imports of fish from its neighbor. About 3,010 tons of fish contaminated with radioactive materials in varying levels have been brought into the country since the 2011 meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

*contaminated: 오염된
*radioactive material: 방사능 물질
*varying: 각기 다른

The Japanese government’s refusal to provide detailed information about the leaks has also added to the strong public backlash and radiation scare.

*leak: 누출
*public backlash: 대중 비판
*radiation scare: 방사능 공포

Japanese officials in July confirmed long-held suspicions that the crippled reactors have been leaking water contaminated with radioactive materials. Tokyo Electric Power Corp., the operator, said some 300 tons of contaminated water has been seeping into the ocean every day.

*long-held: 오랫동안 지속된
*suspicion: 의혹
*seep into: ~로 스며들다, 흘러 들어가다


기사 전문: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130915000217

팟케스트: https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2