In March of this year, the South Korean capital will play host to the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit, the theme of which will be oriented towards the role of nuclear industry, enhancing nuclear security and safety.

The event was held for the first time in 2010 in Washington, US. Back then, representatives from 47 countries and three international organizations gathered in order to discuss the prevention of future nuclear terrorism. At the time, President Barack Obama declared that the next conference would be in the South Korea in two years’ time, without binding himself to details. Later on, it was announced that the next international meeting will be held in Seoul on March 26-27, 2012.

It is said that more than 53 heads of state and organizations will attend the events. During the previous conference in the United States, the American President alluded about the probable subject of this year’s event, but at the time nothing had been confirmed. According to the official website of the forthcoming meeting the three main issues to be discussed are:

• Cooperative measures to combat the threat of nuclear terrorism,
• Protection of nuclear materials and related facilities,
• Prevention of illicit trafficking of nuclear materials.

As a whole, the major objective of the event, which will be held at the Grand Hilton Seoul Hotel, is to tame nuclear proliferation, which has become excessively threatening after the tragic September 11 attacks in New York. During his 2009 Prague speech, the President expressed his dissatisfaction with nuclear terrorism as a serious menace to international peace. As he added, his idea is a “world free of nuclear weapons.”

Many ask themselves why this particular international event will be held in South Korea. The answer is simple. Through the years, the Asian country has proved that it has a stable economic system. Besides, it has showed leadership in maintaining the world’s political and security fields. This conference is an important step for the construction of its authority as a country.

In an interview, Duyeon Kim, Deputy Director of Non-Proliferation at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said: “There are clear ways in which Seoul can capitalize on its strengths to flavor the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit with a ‘Korean twist,’ as it maintains depth on key substantive issues that ensure the security of nuclear materials, parts, and facilities.

The challenge lies in clearly demonstrating that the benefits outweigh the costs, and that states would have a national interest in further investing their political capital in nuclear security.” His words explain the significance of the international event in Seoul. Its purpose is not only to inform and awaken public opinion, but to find a solution to a global problem, threatening world peace.

Ultimately, South Korea has the responsibility to demonstrate its leadership on the international stage. It is the perfect chance for the government of the East Asian country to prove its idea that “the benefitst outweigh the costs,” mainly concentrating on the need for a nuclear security plan at a global level.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/koreanet/

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About the author

Sabina Peycheva
Hi! My name is Sabina and I'm 17. I'm from Bulgaria and I really want to become a journalist in the future. I like traveling, reading and watching movies (especially Korean ones). I love animals and I have three dogs and one cat.