Q&A on 2012 Nuclear Security Summit Part 3

Q11. How is Seoul Nuclear Security Summit being prepared?

Installation of Nuclear Security Summit Preparatory Commitee and Preparatory Secretariat
● October, 2010. Installation of "Nuclear Security Summit Preparatory Commitee"

Chairman: Prime Minister
Vice-chairman: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Member of the Commitee: Minister of Strategy and Finance, Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Minister of Unification, Minister of Justice, Minister of Public Administration and Security, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Minister of Knowledge Economy, Director of National Intelligence Service, Presidential cheif of Staff, Direcotr of the Office of the Prime Minister, Director of the Korea Communications Commission, The Chairman of PCNB, Commissioner of the Presidential Security, Direcotr of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Director of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Director of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Non-Proliferaton& Control, President of the Korea Electric Power Corporation, President of the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corporation

●March, 2011. Installation of "Nuclear Security Summit Preparatory Planning Group" (Leader: the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade)

Participating Nation's SherpaㆍSous-Sherpa Meeting
●Sherpa Meeting: Buenos Aires(2010.11), Helsinki(2011.10), India(2012.1), Seoul(Just Before the Nuclear Summit)

●Sous-Sherpa Meeting: Vienna(2011.3), Seoul(2011.6)


Q12. How does negotiations preparing Nuclear Security Summit occur between the nations?

After the 2009 Washington nuclear security summit, nations made a progress in negotiation by appointing Sherpa and Sous-Sherpa to discuss agendas and make progress practicaly.

Also Seoul security summit is making a progress by each nations' Sherpa and Sous-Sherpa discussion. Normal summit preparation requires 3~4 Sherpa discussion, between this time, Sous-Sherpa discussion is being holded.

Why do we call bargaining agent "Sherpa"?
When climbing Himalaya we usually call person who carries burden and guides the way a "Sherpa", which means "People who came from the east" in Tibetan. Recently, we often call heads who prepare summit "Sherpa". Also G20 Summit heads had been called "Sherpa".


Q.13 Do nuclear problems of North Korea handle as agendas in Seoul nuclear security summit?

The nuclear problems of north korea which is a nuclear nonproliferation are different from nuclear security issues
Basically, Nuclear problems of North Korea and Iran are kinds of nuclear nonproliferation issues controlled by each political solution mechanism(the six- party talks or P5+1 concultative groups), NPT, United nations security council and IAEA. So these are not main agendas in nuclear security summit. Although North Korea doesn't have problems of nuclear facilities and control of Substances about safety of nuclear and atomic power, these facilities and substnces should be removed targets as aspects of nuclear nonproliferation. In this context, Mr.Lee myung-bak who is a president of the Republic of Korea suggested invitation to Kim jung-il chairman with nonproliferation agreement between North Korea and international society May 2011 in Berlin. Gathering and dicussion with world 50 reprentatives about nuclear secuirity will be messages to North Korea for giving up nuclear and coming out international society

What is different between nuclear security and nuclear nonproliferation?
Nuclear security which protects nuclears and radioactive substances to prevent nuclear and radioactive terror is a distinguishing concept against nuclear nonproliferation which purpose is a preventing development of nuclear weapon


Q14. How will issues on "Nuclear safety" be treated in the Seoul Summit?
 
Nuclear Safety requires nuclear security and complementary development
Like the implications that can be found in the situation of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the result of a terrorist attack on nuclear facilities would not be much different from a nuclear accident, and even that the response requires a similar approach, nuclear security and nuclear safety need to complementarily devise each other.

Nuclear security is a prerequisite for the peaceful use of nuclear energy
As the study of the correlation between nuclear safety and nuclear security through which the parties get mutually strengthen gets deeper, the peaceful use of nuclear energy can be further facilitated.

We expect nuclear safety issues to be addressed in the context of nuclear security reinforcement
For the reason that the Nuclear Security Summit is a summit forum to strengthen nuclear security, the Seoul Summit will continue to treat nuclear security issues as a central theme.
However, nuclear safety issues focused in the Nuclear Security Summit to achieve the goal of nuclear security in terms of what can be helpful and whether or not to deal with the empathy of participating countries is taking place.


Q 15.  Will 'radioactivity terror' issue be also discussed in Seoul Nuclear Security Summit?

'Security of a radioactive substance' issue will be aslo discussed
Discussions about security of a radioactive substance will be more emphasized in Seoul Summit than in Washington Summit.
A dirty bomb is easy to obtain materials and produce bombs, so the damage is relatively smaller than the nuclear terror. However, the seriousness of the threat is bigger because it has a higher possible occurence than the nucelar terror.
Also, as you can see from the 'Fukushima Disaster', citizens have fears for radiation exposure same as fears for nuclear terror.

Radioactive substances are often stolen and lost
According to the database data of IAEA's International Illegal Trade from 1995 up to now, Examples about two thirds of robbery·loss of nuclear substances/radioactive substances actually belongs to radioactive substances.
From this point of view, actions among countries and international cooperation must be considered to strengthen the safety management of radioactive substances, and South Korea will try to make advances in this direction during the Summit.