1. The International Forum on Northeast Asia Nuclear Safety Cooperation (the third Top Regulators Meeting+ [TRM+]) came to a close on October 23 after being successfully held in Seoul on October 22-23 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission.

2. At the third TRM+, the government of the Republic of Korea officially explained the principles and ways for pursuing the establishment of the consultative body for nuclear safety in Northeast Asia, which had been proposed by President Park Geun-hye in August 2014.

◦ The ROK, Japan and China will set up a trilateral consultative mechanism focused on the safety of nuclear energy for civilian purposes, an area where cooperation among the three countries can easily be institutionalized.

◦ The aforementioned consultative mechanism will be open to participation by relevant countries in the region, including the US, Russia and Mongolia.

◦ (Participants) The consultative mechanism will be a multi-layered one participated by the full range of stakeholders in nuclear safety, including not only government authorities but also those from industrial and academic circles, among others.

◦ (Areas of Cooperation) Cooperation on safety will be institutionalized mainly in the areas that were discussed at separate symposiums based on the perception of the need to create nuclear safety culture across all sectors. Those areas include controlling nuclear safety; bracing for and responding to emergencies; research and development on nuclear safety; and cooperation among operators of nuclear power plants.

◦ (Goals) An emergency response system will be set up in order to jointly respond to nuclear emergencies; a harmonized approach will be taken toward control over and the culture of nuclear safety; and Northeast Asia will seek to exercise leadership with regard to global nuclear safety going forward.

◦ (Consultative Mechanism) The ROK, Japan and China will convene their trilateral TRM and working-level mechanisms on a regular basis.

- At the same time, as part of a two-track approach, TRM+s will be held to win support for the consultative body for nuclear safety in Northeast Asia from relevant countries and international organizations.

3. At the third TRM+, the ROK government expressed its strong willingness and sincerity toward cooperation in the region for enhanced nuclear safety and proposed specific ways to pursue the establishment of the aforementioned consultative body. Accordingly, the meeting is seen to have served as an opportunity to accelerate discussions with relevant countries.

◦ In his opening remarks, the ROK’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se expressed his expectation that the consultative body led by the ROK, Japan and China for nuclear safety in Northeast Asia, if and when established, will become a “historic milestone” for peace and cooperation in Northeast Asia. In addition, he asked the countries in the region and the international nuclear community to put into full gear relevant discussions with patience and sincerity.

◦ In their congratulatory remarks, the Chinese and Japanese head delegates to the TRM commended the ROK for its efforts to promote cooperation in the region.

4. Building on the outcome of the third TRM+, the ROK government will accelerate discussions with relevant countries in order to establish at an early date the ROK government-proposed consultative body for nuclear safety in Northeast Asia.

◦ The ROK, Japan and China will hold trilateral inter-governmental meetings on a regular basis and increase their cooperation with other countries and relevant international organizations, including the US, Russia and Mongolia.


* unofficial translation