CONCERNS OVER TOKYO'S RADIATION

[Anchor Lead]

Representatives of countries taking part in next year's Tokyo Summer Olympics, gathered in Tokyo for a meeting that started on Tuesday. Officials of 194 countries have reportedly expressed safety concerns related to radiation. Meanwhile the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee is planning to operate an athletes' training camp in Tokyo, 3 weeks prior to the start of the Olympics, a plan that has South Korea's ruling party greatly concerned.

[Pkg]

A radiation detection device sounds an alarm whenever the wind changes direction. The location is near Fukushima, the spot where the torch for the Tokyo Summer Games will depart from.

[Soundbite] SHINZO ABE(JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER) : "Japan aims to promote Fukushima, where revival is taking place, to the world."

Radiation jitters loom large over the Tokyo Olympics, fueled by news that farm produce from the Fukushima area may be provided to Olympic athletes as part of promotional marketing. Adding to the worry, it's been confirmed that the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee is planning to run a 40-day training camp for Korean athletes in Tokyo, starting 3 weeks prior to the games and running until the Games conclude. The training camp will be for athletes in 15 sporting disciplines with higher chances of advancing to the main competition. The camp will take place at sports facilities near Tokyo and Chiba prefectures. The major concern is the athletes' meals. The committee plans to service its own catering support center that will bring in food ingredients from Korea. But this is only beginning from the week ahead of the Olympics. The camp kicks off two weeks before this time, creating a break in meal services. In light of this, Korea's ruling party has conveyed its stance to the Olympic Committee that it should reconsider operating the training camp in Japan.

[Soundbite] REP. SHIN DONG-KEUN(DEMOCRATIC PARTY) : "If Japan is not safe from radiation, I wonder why it's necessary to have training there while there's also no time difference with Korea."

In fact, such training camps were not operated in the host country during the Rio Olympics when the Zika virus was a threat nor during the Beijing Olympics given China's proximity to Korea. Korea's sports body has also made an official request during the ongoing gathering of Olympics officials in Tokyo for Japan to conduct inspections over radiation safety and food supplies.