SEOUL, South Korea (Reuters) – Officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and South Korea held an annual meeting in Seoul to boost cooperation on nuclear issues on Thursday (April 7).
IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Safeguards, Tero Varjoranta, and South Korean foreign ministry’s Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs, Choi Jong-moon, led the fourth South Korea-IAEA High-Level Consultation.
The both sides discussed ways to cooperate their response to North Korea’s nuclear threats, safety measures as well as peaceful use of nuclear energy, South Korea’s foreign ministry said.
“Safeguards issues, non-proliferation issues in the Korean peninsula are of most importance for our delegation and our work. Our cooperation has been excellent over the past years and safeguard activities are improving in an excellent manner. We’re very grateful for the cooperation,” said Tero at the start of the meeting.
“I also look forward to a fruitful consultation today,” said Choi.
Last month, the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution which dramatically tightens existing restrictions on North Korea after a recent nuclear test and rocket launch. The sanctions are the U.N’s toughest, intended to cut off funds for the North’s nuclear and other banned weapons programmes.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered his country to be ready to use its nuclear weapons at any time and to turn its military posture to “pre-emptive attack” mode in the face of growing threats from its enemies, the North’s official media said last month.