The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said on Sunday that the radiation levels in the waters off South Korea were found to be within a safe range following Japan’s start of the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean last Thursday.

The ministry conducted a test in 15 locations in three areas of South Korea’s territorial waters last Friday, and announced the test results from five locations in southeastern waters on Sunday, with the other ten results coming as soon as they are available.

In the first such test after Japan started the discharge, the ministry said that the concentration levels of cesium and tritium were both well below the World Health Organization’s standards for drinkable water.

Oceans and fisheries minister Cho Seung-hwan said that the first marine radiation test conducted since the discharge confirmed the safe level of radiation in waters around the country.

The government plans to carry out a detailed analysis of radiation levels in 92 locations and conduct expedited analyses for 108 locations. Sunday's results are from an expedited analysis.