Japan’s agriculture minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, has urged South Korea to remove restrictions on Japanese seafood imports that were introduced after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Kyodo News reports. Speaking in Seoul following discussions with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, Koizumi expressed hope that ministries from both nations would work towards lifting the ban. He did not disclose Cho’s reaction.

The meeting was notable, as it is rare for Japan’s agriculture minister to engage directly with a foreign minister. Koizumi’s visit to Seoul followed his attendance at a trilateral agriculture ministers’ meeting with China and South Korea in Incheon.

South Korea currently prohibits seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima, Iwate, and Chiba, due to concerns over radiation contamination although it is commonly believed the ban is more about protecting South Korea's own fisheries industry. Additionally, seafood from eight other prefectures must be accompanied by radiation inspection certificates. These measures were implemented after the Fukushima Daiichi plant suffered severe damage from an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

Koizumi insisted that confidence in Japanese food safety has been fully restored. Diplomatic sources indicate that arrangements are underway for South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to visit Japan later this month for talks with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

China, which imposed its own ban in August 2023 when Japan began discharging treated radioactive wastewater into the sea, lifted its blanket restriction in June, although certain limitations remain.