South Korea Conducts Emergency Water Assessments

(MENAFN) South Korea escalated environmental monitoring efforts Friday, conducting emergency water assessments following mounting allegations that North Korea has contaminated cross-border waterways with radioactive nuclear waste.

Seoul's latest testing campaign comes despite previous findings showing no "meaningful" elevation in radioactive contamination levels across the Yellow Sea, after media outlets reported Pyongyang was allegedly disposing of uranium waste from its Pyongsan County refining operations into rivers flowing toward South Korean territory.

A local news agency confirmed that specialists gathered water specimens from six strategic points along Ganghwa Island's western border region within northwest Gyeonggi province.

Media revealed expanded testing protocols encompassing 10 total sampling sites, including both Ganghwa Island and the Han River estuary, targeting detection of radioactive materials including cesium and uranium, alongside dangerous heavy metal contamination.

The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety will conduct comprehensive analysis of the collected samples, with definitive results anticipated within two weeks.

North Korean authorities have remained silent regarding the contamination allegations.

The testing surge follows last month's alarming intelligence from a US-based monitoring program, which identified satellite evidence suggesting construction of a suspected uranium enrichment facility at North Korea's primary nuclear complex in Yongbyon, located north of Pyongyang.

The facility expansion raises fresh concerns about North Korea's nuclear capabilities and potential environmental hazards stemming from its atomic weapons program.

South Korea's proactive water testing reflects growing anxiety over cross-border environmental contamination as tensions persist over North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

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