By Lee Tae-hoon
Nuclear experts here criticized opposition political parties and civic groups Friday for their recent campaign to obstruct Korea’s hosting of the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit slated for next month.
Their criticism comes following the launch of a coalition made up of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP), three minority progressive parties and 36 civic groups, which has pledged measures to undermine Seoul’s hosting of the second nuclear summit.
“South Korea is the world’s 8th biggest exporter, and needs to take responsible action in the international community,” said professor Jun Bong-geun at the Center for Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security of the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security.
“What is also best for the nation’s interest is participating in a global effort to prevent possible security threats caused by nuclear proliferation.”
Kim Tae-woo, president of the Korean Institute for National Unification, said that the South must play a proactive role in the creation of a global leadership for nuclear security.
“Without global leadership, the world will continue to face challenges in tackling major nuclear security issues,” the prominent expert said. “Korea should help create an environment in which major players such as the United States, European Union, Russia and China find a common interest in solving nuclear threats arising from countries like Iran and North Korea.”
Seoul will host the nuclear summit on March 26 and 27, the follow-up to 2010’s inaugural nuclear security summit in Washington, with the participation of more than 50 heads of state and international organizations.
The three main agenda items of the summit will be cooperative measures to combat the threat of nuclear terrorism; protection of nuclear materials and related facilities; and prevention of the illicit trafficking of nuclear materials.
The anti-nuclear summit coalition claims that they are attempting to stop the Seoul summit, which is only about a month away, because they want a “nuclear free world,” rather than “nuclear security.”
“Without suspending nuclear development and nuclear armament, the hosting of the security summit that will only address nuclear security issues will not be a solution in realizing a nuclear free world,” the coalition said in a statement.
Im Jong-seok, DUP secretary general, said that his party has decided to join the initiative because it believes the coalition campaign will raise awareness about the importance of reducing the use of nuclear energy and developing alternative energy sources.
“The DUP supports the non-proliferation of nuclear materials and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” he said.
Im said the DUP will participate in most of the coalition’s anti-nuclear summit events in the week of March 19 to 27, including a press conference and an international forum without physically obstructing the hosting of the summit.
However, Hahn Choong-hee, spokesman for the summit, pointed out that the anti-nuclear coalition and his organization share a common goal — making a nuclear free world.
“The upcoming nuclear summit is not a meeting of global leaders to encourage exports of nuclear reactors or related technology, nor the proliferation of nuclear weapons,” he said.
“U.S. President Barack Obama launched the doctrine for a nuclear-free world in April 2009 in Prague and took the initiative in the creation of a nuclear security summit to achieve the lofty goal of creating this,” he said.
“Global leaders will come to Seoul to find solutions to prevent nuclear terrorism and removing reliance on nuclear plants as this is a real threat to us right now, rather than encouraging the use of nuclear technology.”
Hahn said the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit will not be a venue for global leaders to discuss their country’s nuclear policies or the possible promotion of related technology.