Japanese foreign ministry officials say they will step up measures to counter false information regarding the planned release of treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean.

The ministry has a team tasked with dealing with false information. Last month, it discovered a South Korean internet media report saying Japan had donated a huge sum of money to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The institution's experts were assessing the safety of Japan's marine discharge plan.

The ministry's team rejected the allegation as totally groundless.

Officials say more false information rooted in baseless speculation could be spread online.

They plan to use AI to gather and screen information. If nonfactual content is found, they will demand its deletion or refute it.

The ministry also plans to work with the US and South Korean governments to disseminate information based on scientific evidence.

Foreign minister Hayashi Yoshimasa says Japan will take firm steps against the act of spreading false information with malicious intent.

Japan plans to release water that has been accumulating at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant following the 2011 triple meltdown. It is a combination of groundwater and rain that has seeped into the damaged reactor buildings, mixing with the water being used to cool molten nuclear fuel.

The water is treated to remove most radioactive materials but tritium still remains.

The treated water will be diluted with seawater to reduce tritium levels to one-seventh of the World Health Organization's safety standards for drinking water.

The government plans to start the discharge sometime this summer.

Earlier this month, the IAEA issued a comprehensive report concluding that Japan's plan is consistent with international safety standards.