President Park Geun-hye has proposed to global leaders four measures to end North Korea’s nuclear program and to make the world safer with no nuclear weapons.

Speaking at the opening session of the 3rd Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, the Netherlands, on March 24, President Park emphasized that, “Nuclear arms still pose a grave threat to the world. No country is free from the threat of nuclear terrorism. Any possible act of nuclear terrorism could lead to a world holocaust.”

It is not a secret, the president continued, that many terrorist groups are eager to get their hands on nuclear arms and nuclear material. “There is the possibility that a catastrophic nuclear disaster, on par with the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, could occur if nuclear arms fall into the wrong hands,” she warned.


The president also voiced concerns about Pyongyang’s nuclear proliferation, denouncing it as a great threat to world security. “The North's actions constantly run counter to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the U.N. Security Council Resolution on nuclear nonproliferation, as it keeps developing and enhancing its nuclear capability,” she stated.

President Park warned of the possibility that nuclear materials transferred from the North could end up in the hands of terrorists, which could definitely have catastrophic consequences for world peace.

She also expressed deep concerns about possible safety problems in Pyongyang’s nuclear facilities. She noted that, “Nuclear facilities are located mainly in the Yongbyon nuclear complex, north of Pyongyang. A possible fire in one of the buildings there could lead to a disaster worse than the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe.”

“As the North’s nuclear ambition has become a great threat, in terms of both non-proliferation and of nuclear security, the state must be disarmed for global peace and security,” the president stressed.

In response, President Park made a four-point proposal to cope with any nuclear threats. It includes building an integrated approach to create synergy effects in achieving nuclear security, combining together disarmament and non-proliferation, and establishing regional mechanisms to guarantee nuclear security. Other points include narrowing the gap in nuclear security capabilities between countries and, finally, coming up with measures to cope with cyber terrorism at nuclear facilities.

“All global leaders need to work together and push for nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament and nuclear security,” the president stressed.

“To this end, dealing with the North Korean nuclear problem is the first step in making the world safer with no nuclear weapons. This first step, moving toward the goal of a nuclear weapon free world, should begin on the Korean Peninsula,” said the president as she wrapped up her remarks.



Please click the attached file below to read the full text of President Park's speech.

By Wi Tack-whan, Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writers
whan23@korea.kr