The government convened an emergency meeting of vice ministers on Tuesday, after the operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant filed for approval of its plan to release treated radioactive water into the ocean.

Tokyo Electric Power Company(TEPCO) submitted an application to Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority(NRA) for a review of the planned release earlier that day.

Seoul plans to deliver its serious concern through diplomatic channels over Tokyo's unilateral push for the water release, despite concerns and opposition from neighboring countries. It already requested that Tokyo provide sufficient information on the plan.

South Korea's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission sent a separate letter, expressing regret and calling for the NRA to conduct an independent and transparent review that also takes into account concerns from other countries.

The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety(KINS) has launched its own review of the TEPCO application to confirm the soundness of the release facility, appropriateness of contamination analysis and the emergency response system.

In April, Japan announced that it will start discharging the treated-but-still radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean in 2023, as storage tanks at the Fukushima plant are expected to reach full capacity as early as fall of 2022.