On August 23, the Ministry of Food and Drug of South Korea announced that South Korea will continue to adopt the current restrictions on imports of Japanese food.

In 2011, the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in Japan caused hundreds of tons of contaminated water to leak every day, in order to protect the health and safety of the Korean people, the Korean Food and Drug Ministry has banned the import of aquatic products from eight prefectures including Fukushima and 27 types of agricultural products from 15 prefectures since September 2013.

In April 2019, South Korea won a dispute with Japan at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over Seoul's ban on the import of seafood products from Fukushima, securing its legitimacy under international law. Considering the special circumstances of the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in Japan, the Korean Food and Drug Ministry believes that a minimum level of safety management is necessary.

For reference, the Ministry of Food and Drug of Korea (KFDA) has to conduct radiation inspection every time Japanese food imported from outside the import ban area. Even if trace amounts (0.5 Bq/Kg or more) are detected, the importer is required to provide proof of 17 types of nuclides, including tritium, that the Japanese food detected with trace amounts of radiation will not actually enter Korea.