ID :
179597
Tue, 05/03/2011 - 13:55
Auther :

S. Korea, U.S. seek to focus on nuclear safety at int'l summit

SEOUL, May 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States are seeking to focus on the issue of nuclear safety at a global summit next year after concerns over the subject reemerged during the recent nuclear crisis in Japan, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday.
Kim Bong-hyeon, South Korea's deputy foreign minister for multilateral and global affairs, met with Gary Samore, the U.S. White House coordinator for weapons of mass destruction, counter-terrorism and arms control, to discuss preparations for the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit to be held in South Korea, the ministry said in a press release.
The two sherpas agreed to work closely together for the summit's success, with Samore offering to share his country's experience hosting the first Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in April last year, it said.
While exchanging views on the upcoming summit's agenda, aims, participating nations and other related areas, the two sides, in particular, "shared opinions on the appropriate way to handle within the context of the summit the issue of nuclear safety, which has emerged as a global issue following the crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant," the ministry said.
Nuclear safety and nuclear security are two different issues, according to officials. The first deals with the risks of nuclear accidents caused by technical faults or natural disasters, while the latter aims to prevent terrorism stemming from the spread of nuclear materials, they say.
Officials have also said North Korea's nuclear programs may be discussed under the topic of nuclear safety as the country's facilities are suspected of lacking necessary safety measures.
Preparations for the summit are well under way, with additional meetings scheduled among the participating nations' sherpas this October in Helsinki, Finland, and among their deputies next month in Seoul, the ministry said.
hague@yna.co.kr

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