South Korean President Lee Myung Bak is at the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) being held in Washington today and tomorrow. Naturally, joint international cooperation on the North Korean nuclear issue is at the top of South Korea’s agenda.
President Lee, who left South Korea on the afternoon of April 11, will participate in a welcoming reception and banquet today. Tomorrow, he will share a common understanding about the need for nuclear security and also discuss joint countermeasures to the North Korean nuclear threat with the leaders of other major countries.
Top leaders from 47 nations including Russia, China, Britain, France, and Japan are in attendance at the NSS. In addition, international and regional organizations like the United Nations, IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), and EU have representatives in place.
President Lee will surely emphasize the need for a quick resolution to the North Korean nuclear issue and the importance of joint international nonproliferation efforts for peace and security.
Unfortunately, there is no time for a meeting with President Obama. Instead, President Lee will meet with Joe Biden, U.S. Vice President, to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue and the U.S.-South Korea strategic alliance.
According to President Lee’s office, regardless of the absence of a presidential meeting, the leaders of the two nations will be sitting down with each other during the NSS, which means that they will be exchanging a wide range of opinions on issues related to nuclear security, like the North Korean nuclear problem and nuclear terror, which are among the most sensitive topics for the international community today.
The NSS is being held for the first time this year. The meeting is seen by the U.S. as a specific measure to strengthen nuclear security cooperation and address associated nuclear terrorism concerns.
Therefore, the primary agenda item is preventing terrorist groups like Al Qaeda from acquiring nuclear material. However, during the discussion process, issues pertaining more directly to North Korea and Iran will inevitably come up.
Especially, the U.S. is increasing the pressure on both North Korean and Iran, stating in the recently published Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) that its negative nuclear assurance does not apply to deviant nations with a history of proliferation like North Korea and Iran.
This summit is also likely to influence the 8th Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) evaluation meeting to be held in May. If the NPT system is strengthened, North Korea’s wiggle room will narrow, and the pressure on the Kim Jong Il regime will rise.
Kim Seung Han, A professor at the Graduate School of International Studies at Korea University, explained during a phone call with The Daily NK on April 11th, “The keywords this summit are WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) and terrorism. Also, the issue of how to restrict nations threatening the NPT system is on the agenda, which means that the North Korean nuclear issue will also be addressed.”
Especially, Kim went on, “The North Korean nuclear issue is not only a threat to the security of the Korean peninsula; if nuclear material falls into the hands of terrorists, it could become a worldwide catastrophe. Therein lies the essence of why the North Korean nuclear issue is being emphasized as a global issue, not just one for the Six-Party Talks.”
The NSS will focus on specific issues like safely acquiring nuclear materials and preventing nuclear materials being smuggled. Extracted plutonium and HEU (Highly Enriched Uranium) are the nuclear materials of most concern, since they can be use for all kinds of bomb production.
In addition, the NSS organizers aim to produce an understanding on the significance of nuclear security and national responsibility in strengthening nuclear security and measures against nuclear terror. Also, the organizers hope to produce a joint statement and some form of implementation plan to support and expand existing international efforts.
