World Forum
The Hague, the Netherlands

Your Majesty, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.

Let me start by thanking Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands for all the great work that went into preparing for this Summit. It is my privilege to address this opening session as president of the previous host country.

I have every confidence that the Third Nuclear Security Summit will mark a key milestone in global efforts to prevent nuclear and radiological terrorism.

Over the years, the Nuclear Security Summits have reminded us that the world can change and that a new order can be created when world leaders come together with a shared vision and conviction.

At the 2010 Washington Summit and the 2012 Seoul Summit, leaders pledged, and have been implementing, as many as 200 commitments for practical actions to improve nuclear security.

These include, for example, the establishment of centers of excellence in regions around the world to promote capacity building in nuclear security. More than ten countries, including Korea, the United States, Romania and Hungary, have also invited the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conduct reviews on their national physical protection regimes.

Thanks to President Obama`s ‘four-year lockdown` initiative, over three thousand kilograms of weapons-grade nuclear material around the world have been removed or disposed in the last four years. This is equivalent to some 120 nuclear weapons.

I am confident that sustaining these efforts into the future will indeed make the world a safer place.

Distinguished leaders, ladies and gentlemen,

Despite the achievements of the Nuclear Security Summits, nuclear terrorism remains an ongoing threat.

No country is free from the threat of nuclear terrorism. A single act of nuclear terrorism will have catastrophic consequences for the entire world.

One cannot overstate the importance of the 53 States gathered here today. For together, these countries hold the vast majority of the world’s nuclear materials and operate 97% of the world’s nuclear power plants.

Today, there are enough nuclear materials around the world to produce over 110,000 nuclear weapons, as well as other dangerous materials that can be used in radiological terrorism.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an incident involving the theft, loss or illicit trafficking of such materials occurs every two days.

It is also well known that terrorist groups have been keen on acquiring nuclear weapons and materials.

A disaster along the lines of the Fukushima nuclear accident three years ago can also be wreaked by nuclear terrorism.

Nuclear proliferation is also a serious challenge that jeopardizes nuclear security.

Even as we speak, North Korea is continuing to develop its nuclear programs and is honing its nuclear capabilities in violation of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. It would be perilous to global peace if North Korea’s nuclear materials were to fall into the hands of terrorist groups.

In addition, as noted in a recent report by an international research institute, North Korea`s nuclear facilities generate serious safety concerns.

North Korea’s Yongbyon is home to such a dense concentration of nuclear facilities that a fire in a single building could lead to a disaster potentially worse than Chernobyl, according to the report.

By any measure, - whether non-proliferation, nuclear security or safety - North Korea`s nuclear programs are cause for enormous concern. The peace and security of the world demands no less than their dismantlement.

Distinguished leaders, ladies and gentlemen,

To help combat the threat of nuclear terrorism, I would like to put forward a four-point proposal for advancing the global nuclear security architecture.

First, what is needed is a holistic approach that promotes synergy among nuclear security, nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation.

We have already witnessed such synergy in the Megatons to Megawatts Program that was completed by the United States and Russia in 2013.

Highly enriched uranium (HEU) from dismantled warheads, equivalent to 20,000 nuclear weapons, was converted into electricity to light up cities. It is indeed a case of swords beaten into plowshares.

In addition to getting rid of the existing stock of dangerous nuclear materials, the international community should urgently conclude the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) so countries cease the production of weapons-grade nuclear material.

Second, we should actively pursue regional dialogue mechanisms in the area of nuclear security. To date, nuclear security measures have largely been a national matter.

Northeast Asia currently houses 23 percent of the world’s nuclear reactors. Establishing a regional nuclear security dialogue process in this part of the world where nuclear reactors are densely sited will contribute not only to strengthening the physical protection of nuclear facilities, but to building trust among the countries in the region.

Third, we must overcome the capacity gap among States in implementing nuclear security.

"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” However robust the security networks of many countries, it takes trouble only in one country to spell insecurity for all.

It is therefore imperative that we cooperate and share technologies, experiences and best practices to bridge the capacity gap.

In this vein, the Republic of Korea, Vietnam and the IAEA are working together on a joint project to establish a radioactive source location tracking system (RADLOT) in Vietnam. Efforts like these need to be expanded.

We also need to encourage cooperation in developing such creative and innovative technologies, as transforming weapons-grade highly enriched uranium (HEU) in to high-density low enriched uranium (LEU).

Finally, steps should be taken to tackle the emerging threat of cyber terrorism against nuclear facilities.

The IAEA could play a leading role in developing defensive guidelines and systems, while each country crafts cyber security systems that are tailored to its individual requirements.

It would also be in all of our interest to push forward international discussions on cyber security, through forums such as the Conference on Cyberspace held in Seoul last October.

Distinguished leaders, ladies and gentlemen,

To realize a world without nuclear weapons, we need the collective wisdom of strengthening nuclear security in parallel with nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament and nuclear safety.

I believe that as long as North Korea remains a nuclear challenge, a world without nuclear weapons will not come. And so it has been my long-held conviction that the journey toward a world without nuclear weapons should start from the Korean Peninsula.

I look forward to working with everyone here to make that vision a reality. I have full confidence that this Summit will bring us closer to building a safer world for all. Let us all do the best we can.

Thank you.