| abstract | - The importance of planning for the conference was clarified when American President Barack Obama explained his view that "we have the opportunity, as partners, to ensure that our progress is not a fleeting moment, but part of a serious and sustained effort. The "2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit", is the largest summit in the security field that discusses international cooperative measures to protect nuclear materials and facilities from terrorist groups, with participation from more than 53 heads of state and international organizations. The main issues to be discussed at the Summit were as follows:
* Cooperative measures to combat the threat of nuclear terrorism
* Protection of nuclear materials and related facilities
* Prevention of illicit trafficking of nuclear materials Fifty-eight world leaders from 53 states and four international organizations, including the United Nations, International Atomic Energy Agency, the European Union and INTERPOL, have participated in the Summit. At the summit, the leaders discussed about the nuclear terrorism threats and nuclear security preparedness. They also reviewed the implementation of agreements and voluntary commitments. Then the leaders focused on major nuclear security issues, mostly brought up at the Washington summit, such as the minimization and management of highly enriched uranium, ratification of nuclear security conventions, strengthening information and transportation security, IAEA’s role, preventing illicit nuclear trafficking, nuclear security culture, and international cooperation and assistance. In the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in March 2011, Korea took the initiative of adding two new issues of radiological security and nuclear security-safety interface to the agenda. The Washington summit had focused on nuclear terrorism with explosive nuclear devices, perceiving that as the biggest threat to international security. The 2012 Seoul summit discussed protection against dirty bombs or the sabotage of nuclear facilities. The Seoul summit also discussed the integration of nuclear security and safety. Some states initially opposed these two items, claiming that they would “dilute” the focus of the summit. To the contrary: Their inclusion helps make more countries willing participants in the summit since radiological terrorism or nuclear safety are more palpable threats than nuclear bomb terrorism.
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