S Korea to Suspend Imports of Japanese Food Feared Tainted with Radiation

South Korea will temporarily suspend imports of Japanese food if deemed seriously tainted by radiation, the government said Wednesday.

Food guaranteed by the Japanese government to be radiation-free will be allowed to be imported, the government said in a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik earlier in the day.

Authorities here have toughened checks for radioactive contamination of food imported from the quake-ravaged neighboring country, after the World Health Organization warned the detection of radiation in Japanese food appears to be a much more serious issue than initially believed.

Radiation leaks from crippled nuclear reactors in the northeastern Japanese province of Fukushima have gotten South Koreans worried about potential impacts of radiation on the country, only a two-hour flight away.