The World Trade Organization(WTO) has ruled against South Korea's ban on Japanese seafood imports put in place following a nuclear disaster in Fukushima in 2011.

In a ruling that can be appealed by either side, a WTO dispute panel said on Thursday that South Korea’s measures were initially justified but that keeping them in place violated the WTO’s sanitary and phyto-sanitary(SPS) agreement.

South Korea prohibited imports of agricultural and fish products from Fukushima and its adjacent areas after radioactive leaks following the 2011 tsunami disaster in Japan. 

In 2013, Seoul took a stronger measure to ban imports from fisheries in eight other Japanese prefectures near Fukushima.

Japan took the case to the WTO, accusing South Korea of discriminating against its exports. 

Either side can appeal the ruling within 60 days.