Nuclear industry leaders to meet in Seoul

Nuclear industry leaders from around the world will gather in Seoul this week to discuss ways of enhancing atomic safety and supporting global security, organizers said Thursday. The two-day Nuclear Industry Summit will kick off on Friday and offer recommendations to leaders of 58 nations and international organizations who will participate in the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit scheduled for early next week, the state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) said. About 200 corporate leaders and energy experts will discuss such topics as nuclear material control and safety of atomic power plants, South Korea's News Agency (Yonhap) reported. Preventing nuclear fissile material from getting into the wrong hands and safeguarding atomic power plants has emerged as key issues that need to be addressed by the international community. The latter gained major importance after a massive earthquake and tsunami crippled Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant a year ago and caused the worst radioactive contamination since the 1986 Chernobyl accident. Other topics to be discussed are ways to safeguard sensitive nuclear technology and data, and alternative fissile power sources to generate energy. The KHNP said agencies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Nuclear Energy Agency, the World Association of Nuclear Operators and the World Nuclear Association will be represented at the talks. The industry summit will allow the international community to gauge the strengths of South Korea's atomic power industry and highlight the importance of nuclear energy safety, the KHNP said, adding it could also promote Seoul's efforts to export its knowhow in nuclear power generation.