The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has said he fully supports the IAEA's report on Japan's plan to release treated and diluted water from the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi spoke with NHK in Tokyo on Friday. Grossi said the report released earlier this week is "scientifically correct," and that he "fully stands by it."

The report stated that the plan to release the diluted water into the ocean is consistent with international safety standards. However, concerns over the discharge plan have been raised by South Korea and China, among others.

Grossi said the critical voices are neither unexpected or surprising.

He said he believes that the IAEA "can play a facilitating role in providing a neutral voice of someone who does not have a commercial interest, or political interest in the matter, but only a mission to ensure nuclear safety."

He added that the IAEA will face the critical voices and exercise its responsibility to dispel concerns.

The IAEA's report offers a comprehensive assessment of the safety of the discharge plan. Still, its authors stated that the report is neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of the plan.

Grossi explained that the Japanese government did not come to the IAEA asking what it should do with the treated water. He said the government already had a basic policy and wanted the IAEA to assess it.

Grossi went on to say that the nuclear watchdog agency is not in the business of judging whether the plan is politically good or bad. He said it looked into the operation itself, based on the application of safety standards.

The Japanese government hopes to start releasing the water sometime this summer. It says the filtered water will be diluted to bring tritium levels to about one-seventh of the World Health Organization's safety guidelines for drinking water.

Grossi said the IAEA will regularly check the water samples. He added that if deviations occur, the agency will immediately bring it to the attention of the Japanese government and recommend actions if necessary.