S. Korea temporarily bans importation of Japan's Fukushima-grown rice

South Korea's state-run food safety agency said on Friday that it has temporarily banned rice importation from a Japanese region affected by the March earthquake that crippled nuclear power plants and caused radioactive leaks. The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said importation of rice grown in Japan's northeastern Fukushima Prefecture, where the nuclear power plants are located, will be suspended indefinitely. South Korea also prohibits importation of other food products including rice, mushrooms, chestnuts and plums from Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chiba, Kanagawa and Gunma prefectures. No rice cultivated in Japan has been brought into South Korea since the March earthquake and tsunami, which triggered a nuclear crisis in the region, the KFDA said.