South Korea says it respects the results of an International Atomic Energy Agency review of Japan's plan to release treated and diluted water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the sea.

Water used to cool molten nuclear fuel at the plant mixes with rain and groundwater. The accumulated water is treated to remove most radioactive substances, but still contains tritium.

The Japanese government plans to dilute the water to reduce the tritium level to about one-seventh of the World Health Organization's safety standard for drinking water.

The IAEA on Tuesday issued a report saying Japan's plan is consistent with international safety standards.

A South Korean government official told reporters on Wednesday, "It has been the government's longstanding stance to recognize the IAEA as a prestigious internationally agreed-upon agency, and we hold respect for its findings."

The official added that the government will complete its own analysis of Japan's plan as soon as possible, based on the findings of South Korean experts who inspected the plant in May, and then announce its final stance.

There is great concern in South Korea about the discharge of the water into the ocean.

A senior official of the largest opposition Democratic Party on Wednesday slammed the IAEA's safety review as insufficient and untrustworthy.