South Korea sea salt demand grows ahead of Japan’s Fukushima contaminated water release

Ahead of Japan’s planned release of contaminated wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant in the summer, demand for sea salt in South Korea has recently grown and retailers are stockpiling in fear of a supply shortage. South Korea’s fishery authorities have vowed to ramp up efforts to monitor natural salt farms for any rise in radioactive substances and maintain a ban on seafood from the waters near Fukushima. But their efforts have not stopped some people from buying a lot more than they need, worried about the potential health hazards stemming from Japan’s move. Sea salt prices have gone up by nearly 27% in the first week of June from two months ago. But the ministry attributed the uptick in price more to poor weather in recent months and a fall in production, not to panic buying. More than 85% of the South Korean public oppose Japan’s plan. Seven in 10 people said they would consume less seafood if the wastewater release goes ahead. Shares of salt and seafood manufacturers have rallied in South Korea in recent days, and social media posts talking about buying salt in large amounts and urging people to do the same have also gone viral. __________________ ShanghaiEye focuses on producing top-quality contents. Nobody knows SHANGHAI better than us. Please subscribe to us ☻☻☻ __________________ For more stories, please click ■ What’s up today in Shanghai, the most updated news of the city ■ Amazing Shanghai, exploring the unknown corners of the city, learning the people, food and stories behind them ■ What Chinese people’s lives are like during the post COVID-19 period ■ Views of foreign scholars on China and its affairs ■ Foreign faces in Shanghai, people living in this city sharing their true feelings ■ Mini-docs showing why China is the country it is today __________________ ☎Leave us messages if you have any suggestions or questions! Thank you!