Japan began discharging contaminated water from Fukushima's first nuclear power plant on August 24.

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake caused the Fukushima nuclear accident. The cooling system was destroyed and the reactor core was overheated, therefore, the water in the facility was contaminated with high concentration radioactive materials. More than a decade later, contaminated water is still being produced.

Until now, the Japanese government has stored radioactive water in storage tanks. However, given the current situation, the storage tank capacity will reach its limit, and the government intends to dump the contaminated water into the sea before that.

The contaminated water contains tritium, which can be considered dangerous because it is not removed even through a "multinuclide removal facility" that filters radioactive materials. The concentration of tritium in contaminated water is 580,000 becquerels (Bq) per liter, about 10 times the standard set by the Japanese government. 

However, the Japanese government claimed that it is safe and explained that it filters out most nuclides that limit tritium and carbon-14 to acceptable safety standards. It also announced that a survey of seawater around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant showed that tritium, a radioactive substance, was below the detection limit. Some experts also explain that it is not enough to affect the human body.

The Korean government expressed its support for the release of contaminated water by saying that there is no fear that the concentration of tritium in the discharged water will suddenly increase

On the other hand, the Chinese government expressed opposition to the Korean government, saying Japan has released contaminated water and pretended to be a victim, pointing out that Japan has launched a massive campaign to divert international attention to its extremely irresponsible handling of the act, encourage confusion, cover up and even seek justification.

While governments in many countries are divided, most citizens are against the release of contaminated water. Tritium is exposed only when ingested, but it has less impact than other radioactive substances, but it can be a problem if it is continuously ingested and accumulated in the human body. Experts are also concerned about long-term side effects. It is said that long-term consumption of water or seafood containing tritium can lead to internal exposure.