Mr. President, Mr. Director General, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,

It is a great honor and privilege for me to address, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Korea, the first-ever Ministerial Session of the IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security. I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, and Director General Aamano on the excellent preparations for this important Conference.

As I am sure you all agree, one of the most serious challenges in the world today is the danger presented by mega-terrorism stemming from weapons of mass destruction. Indeed, a single attack of nuclear terrorism anywhere in the world would have devastating consequences for humankind in economic, social, and environmental terms. Therefore, the responsibility of deterring and preventing nuclear terrorism rests on each and every member of the international community.

The Fukushima accident in March 2011 left us with an important lesson that the safety and security standards of nuclear facilities should be managed together to adequately address the risks of unexpected natural disasters and terrorist attacks.

Against this backdrop, nuclear security came to the fore as one of the prerequisites of a safer world. Together with the three pillars of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) -- non-proliferation, disarmament, and peaceful use of nuclear energy -- nuclear security plays an important part in achieving a world without nuclear weapons.

In this vein, the Republic of Korea applauds the efforts of the IAEA in organizing this timely conference on nuclear security.

(Central role of the IAEA in the field of nuclear security)

Mr. President,

In his Prague speech in 2009, President Obama of the US called for a Summit dedicated to discussions on nuclear security as part of the global response to the threat of nuclear terrorism. Since 2010, the Nuclear Security Summit process has represented a momentous turning point in advancing the global nuclear security regime, mobilizing strong political will at the highest level.

The IAEA, as a universal mechanism for addressing nuclear issues, has a particularly crucial role to play in translating this enhanced political momentum into substantive and tangible achievements. In this context, 58 world leaders agreed to reaffirm the central role of the IAEA in strengthening the global nuclear security framework at the 2nd Nuclear Security Summit held in Seoul in 2012.

As we are now witnessing, the fabric of the global nuclear security is woven from various multilateral legally-binding instruments and politically committed initiatives. The IAEA should make use of its networks and know-how in order to coordinate activities and eventually build synergy among stakeholders ranging from international organizations, non-governmental organizations, industry, to academia.

(Appraisal of the Agency’s nuclear security activities)

Taking this opportunity, I would like to express Korea’s continued support for the IAEA’s nuclear security activities as sources of valuable assistance to Member States.

The Republic of Korea welcomes the establishment of the Nuclear Security Guidance Committee (NSGC) and the Nuclear Security Support Center (NSSC) as concrete achievements since the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. We also note with appreciation the addition of four documents in the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Series and the circulation of Director General Amano’s letter of 2012 emphasizing the need for the early entry into force of the Amended Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM).

The IAEA’s advisory services, such as the Integrated Security Support Plan (INSSP) and the International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS), are indeed effective tools to evaluate the national nuclear security infrastructure. Korea will host the IPPAS team in 2014 and I would like to recommend that other Member States as well make full use of the IAEA’s advisory services.

I would also like to commend the IAEA’s efforts towards effective information-sharing through the Illicit Trafficking Database (ITDB), the Nuclear Security Information Portal (NUSEC), and the Nuclear Security Information Management System (NUSIMS).

We encourage the IAEA to further develop its technical expertise in areas such as nuclear forensics, border control and monitoring, and minimization of the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU).

In this regard, we would like to urge all Member States to ensure the constant provision of adequate structures and resources for the IAEA’s nuclear security activities. The Republic of Korea increased its financial contributions to the Agency’s Nuclear Security Fund (NSF) in 2012 and will contribute one million USD this year.

(Korea’s contribution to enhancing global nuclear security)

Mr. President,

As the fifth largest nuclear power producer in the world, Korea places the utmost importance on the secure management of nuclear materials and peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Let me briefly highlight Korea’s most meaningful contribution to enhancing the global nuclear security regime. In June 2011, Korea hosted the General Conference of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) and is currently the coordination country of the GICNT Implementation Assessment Group (IAG) for 2013-2015. Korea has also been a donor of approximately one million USD per year to the activities of the Global Partnership (GP). We are also serving as the Chair of the UN Security Council 1540 Committee which aims to prevent WMD proliferation by non-state actors.

Furthermore, the Korean Government has been actively playing a part in various cooperation projects in the field of nuclear security. For instance, we have developed new technology for the production of high density LEU fuel, which could replace, as early as 2016, the HEU fuel currently used in high performance research reactors.

(North Korean Nuclear Issue)

Mr. President,

When discussing the subject of nuclear security, we cannot leave out the situation on the Korean peninsula, more specifically, the stark contrast between South and North Korea in terms of the use of nuclear power. The Republic of Korea has made it a national priority to faithfully implement its obligations under the NPT and has developed into one of model nations which enjoy the benefits of nuclear energy.

On the contrary, North Korea has undermined the very foundations of the NPT regime by advancing its nuclear programs under the guise of the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and thus remains as a grave threat to international peace and security. The international community has been united in sending a firm message to North Korea by adopting four UN Security Council sanctions resolutions, including Resolution 2094 this March. In his recent Berlin speech, President Obama briefly yet firmly reiterated that nuclear weaponization in North Korea should be rejected. No differing views can exist on this point considering that North Korea cannot have the status of a nuclear-weapon state in accordance with the NPT in any case.

It is our sincere hope that North Korea heed the shared concerns and united demands of the international community, follow the path of abandoning its nuclear and missile development and ceasing all provocations, and work together with us to achieve peaceful development as a responsible member of the international community.

(Priorities in the nuclear security)

Mr. President,

Of all the other tasks before us, securing and minimizing nuclear and radiological materials lies at the heart of enhancing nuclear security. Accordingly, our efforts should focus on the following areas:

First, the IAEA and Member States should seek to bring the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials (CPPNM) into force by 2014, a target year agreed upon at the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. As of today, we need 30 more states to achieve this goal. The Republic of Korea is currently moving forward with the domestic procedures for the ratification of the Convention.

Second, the conversion of HEU fuel reactors into LEU fuel reactors is expected to bring a significant reduction in the use of civilian HEU. As one of the participating states in the ongoing cooperation project on HEU minimization, the Republic of Korea is of the view that advanced information and technology in this field should be shared with other countries through international cooperation.

Third, an emphasis should be placed on the importance of maintaining the security of radioactive sources which are widely used for common industrial, medical, and research applications and thus more vulnerable to theft. We must bear in mind that the psychological impact of radiological terrorism is as devastating as that of nuclear terrorism. Therefore, concrete measures should be taken to reflect the related IAEA documents into national practices.

Fourth, strengthening nuclear security measures may yield other benefits as well. For instance, fortifying border controls and physical protection will help address other WMD as well as traditional security concerns such as illicit trafficking. Enhanced customs capabilities can also contribute to safer trade. Guaranteeing the safe flow of people, goods, and finance will in turn create an enabling environment to support sustainable economic development.

Finally, we must be mindful of the fact that the benefits of the aforementioned priorities will be maximized when we exert efforts at the national and regional level, as well as at the global level. In particular, we view the Centers of Excellence as good channels of communication between countries and national hubs for enhancing a nuclear culture. The Republic of Korea is interested in forming a dialogue process with countries in Northeast Asia to exchange views on how best to enhance regional cooperation on nuclear security and safety. Equally desired is that we share our experiences in educating the younger generation and in strengthening partnerships with industries in a more systematic manner to build a sound nuclear culture within our respective societies.

Mr. President,

I would like to conclude by reaffirming Korea’s continued support for the IAEA’s endeavors to strengthen the global nuclear security regime. I am confident that our deliberations here will produce a valuable outcome document which in itself is a significant contribution to the 3rd Nuclear Security Summit to be held in Hague in March next year. As the previous host of the Summit, we welcome the recent decision of the US administration to host the 4th Nuclear Security Summit in 2016 and reiterate our steadfast commitment to actively participate in the global process of strengthening nuclear security.

Thank you very much.