PM calls for full-scale defense posture for successful nuclear security summit

Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik on Wednesday called for establishing a strong, integrated defense posture to successfully host the nuclear security summit next month.

The Seoul Nuclear Security Summit will be held from March 26-27 and aims to bolster international safeguards and prevent nuclear terrorism, according to its organizers. The global summit is the second of its kind, with the first in the U.S. in 2010. Top leaders from 50 nations including the United States, Russia, China, Japan, Britain and France are expected to attend.

"The Seoul Nuclear Security Summit holds great significance, as it will serve as an opportunity for us to cement our image as the country at the center of the world," Kim said while convening the 45th regular meeting on integrated defense.

"We need to maintain more comprehensive military readiness than ever before through close cooperation among relevant agencies," Kim said, while stressing the importance of thorough preparations for other domestic and international key events such as the World Expo in Yeosu and parliamentary and presidential elections.

The 2012 World Expo is set to kick off in Yeosu, some 455 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 12 for a 93-day run and is expected to attract more than 8 million visitors from around the world. The country is also gearing up to hold a parliamentary election in April and a presidential election in December.

During the defense meeting, some 200 officials, including government ministers, the state intelligence chief, key military commanding officers and heads of local administrations, also discussed ways to ensure unity of the administrative, military and police branches as well as civilians in dealing with threats posed by North Korea and mushrooming cyber attacks, according to Kim's office. (Yonhap)

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