The fisheries ministry plans to introduce three devices to test for tritium and plutonium in seafood products within the year.

Vice fisheries minister Park Sung-hoon said on Friday that one testing device for tritium will be operated by the National Fishery Products Quality Management Service by November, and one each for tritium and plutonium by the National Institute of Fisheries Science by December.

At a parliamentary audit on Thursday, where concerns were raised over the capability of existing equipment to only detect cesium and iodine, the vice minister had said the purchase of new equipment would be completed by the year's end.

In response to a media report that radionuclides were detected in Japanese food imports since a 2013 ban against seafood imports from Fukushima and seven other prefectures, Park said all of the concerning products were sent back prior to entry.

The vice minister said the food and drug safety ministry requests certification on 17 additional nuclides whenever radioactive materials are detected in sample testing of Japanese food imports or the items are sent back.