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Countries are gathering to prevent Japan dumping nuclear waste from the Fukushima power plant disaster into the ocean.



The plant suffered a catastrophic meltdown when a 6.6-magnitude earthquake shook the region in 2011.



A tsunami then swamped the nuclear reactors and triggered a massive radiation leak.



Tokyo Electric is currently running out of tank space at the plant used to store the water waste.



It expects storage will be taken up by mid-2022 and is actively seeking alternatives – one of which is reportedly the ocean.



The South Korean government has now sent a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in opposition to the move.



(Image: DigitalGlobe via Getty Images)

The Ministry of Science and ICT in a press conference in Seoul on Thursday said it plans to "take joint measures with the international community to search for a safe way to handle radioactive water from the Fukushima plant".

Seoul also plans to raise the issue at the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, Austria from Sept. 16 to 20.

Despite the calls for action, industry insiders assert that these organisations have no authority to regulate Japan.



The Japanese government has invited foreign diplomats from 22 countries to Tokyo and made its plans public.



It says it “has not yet made a final decision” on how to handle the contaminated water.

(Image: Getty Images)

Futaba – on the Fukushima Prefecture – was turned into a ghost town after the incident.



But authorities are now planning on reopening the town – despite warnings of worryingly high levels of radiation.

Those hoping to travel there will need to apply for permission to enter before they will be allowed past a checkpoint.

It is thought the town could be rebuilt and ready for evacuees to move back in by 2022 provided it reaches government-set safe levels of contamination.