World leaders gather for nuclear summit

Editor’s note: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kim Sung-hwan has contributed this article to The AsiaN on the occasion of the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit to be held on Mar. 26-27.

Just a few days remain to the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. Kicking off the meeting with a working dinner on March 26, Leaders from 53 countries and 4 international organizations will gather in Seoul for the two-day summit. With these countries representing some 80 percent and 90 percent of world population and gross domestic product, respectively, this summit can in fact be called a world summit. Among them, 14 Asian countries will take part, which operate more than 110 nuclear reactors, or 25 percent of active nuclear reactors in the world. In addition, Asia is a region in which the world’s attention is focused as it faces many important challenges including, among others, of the denuclearization of North Korea. 

As Asia’s reliance on nuclear energy is high, the meaning that nuclear security carries in Asia is also weighty. The demand for uranium, which is fuel for nuclear reactors, will also increase steeply, and so will the chances for their theft, loss and illicit trafficking. Adding the demand for radioactive sources used for medical and research purposes on top of this, the secure protection of nuclear and radioactive material is no longer an issue of choice for us.  

In the same vein, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported 2,164 cases of nuclear and radioactive material that were out of regulatory control. In a global era of deepened interdependence, a single nuclear terrorist attack would not only bring a massive loss of lives, but trigger a pan-global catastrophe by, for instance, paralyzing the world economic and financial networks. In short, nuclear terrorism is a common problem of the humanity from which no country can be free. 

The Nuclear Security Summit is indeed a “peace summit” to promote the peace and safety of the humanity and our generations through the prevention of nuclear terrorism with the ultimate goal of making a “world without nuclear weapons.” If the first summit in Washington D.C. in 2010 allowed the world to share a common understanding on the gravity of nuclear terrorist threats and to garner the high political resolve of leaders worldwide, the Seoul Summit will focus on building on these achievements to advance from a stage of political declaration to specific implementation.

The Leaders at the Seoul Summit will assess the advances made since the Washington Summit and also gather their wisdom in weaving a more solid international nuclear security norm. First, the Summit will faithfully address the three key agendas of nuclear security, namely response to nuclear terrorism, protection of nuclear material and facilities, and prevention of illicit trade in nuclear material. At the same time, reflecting on the changed circumstances of the international environment, the Seoul Summit will also address nuclear safety in terms of strengthening nuclear security and also reinforce counter radiological terrorism measures. It will also include capacity building in other various areas such as nuclear forensics, security on sensitive information, and the promotion of nuclear culture. All these important agreements will be incorporated in the Seoul Communiqué, which will be adopted at the Seoul Summit as a final outcome document.

Through these efforts, we look forward to the following accomplishments. First, we will significantly reduce the threat of nuclear terrorist attack by making headways in the removal and minimization of highly enriched uranium and plutonium, which are the very sources for nuclear terrorism. Second, through eliciting cooperation among the participants who have varied opinions, the Summit will serve as a confidence builder for furthering the international discussions on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament. Finally, with this momentous occasion of leading the premier security forum, Korea will continue to play an active and responsible role on important global issues in the future. 

Meanwhile, although North Korean nuclear issue is not on a formal agenda, the very fact that 58 world leaders gather in Seoul to engage in discussions on key nuclear issues will serve as a unified message of the world on the vital importance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. In addition, Korea is scheduled to hold around 25 bilateral summit talks on this occasion, which will expand substantial cooperation on key bilateral issues.

As the Chair of the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, Korea will continue to play the bridging role between various participants and successfully host the summit. I would hope that Asia, which has emerged as the center of world affairs in the 21st century, will join our efforts in leading world peace and security by putting forward various voluntary commitments to realize the motto of the summit – “Beyond Security Towards Peace.”