Advance visits held for Seoul Nuclear Security Summit

Representatives from 53 countries and four international organizations visited Seoul on Wednesday to fine-tune the preparations for the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit on March 26-27.

Led by Ambassador Cho Hee-yong, secretary-general of the preparatory secretariat, the South Korean organizers briefed their counterparts on the progress of the preparations, site tours and bilateral meetings. The events run through Friday.

About 400 representatives including officials from embassies in Korea, foreign ministries, and presidential and prime ministerial offices visited the COEX venue.

“Since the briefing and consultations last February, we have made much progress in preparing the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. Both of us have continued to keep close consultations and walked together toward the same direction,” Cho said in his welcoming remarks on Wednesday.

He stressed that six more participating countries and one more international organization, Interpol, have decided to join the Seoul summit, in addition to the 47 countries and three international organizations that attended the 2010 Washington Nuclear Security Summit.

“The Seoul Nuclear Security Summit will consolidate the highest political resolve of world leaders and take important action, realizing a world free of nuclear terrorism,” he said.

Just last week, the organizer delivered more details and developed information to each delegation through second administrative notes, as part of its final arrangements for the upcoming summit, Cho said.

The organizer held the first advance visit event Feb. 7-10 where more than 250 officials from 51 delegations attended.

The site tours included visits to the summit meeting venue, the media center, and Incheon and Gimpo airports to help officials check the route of their leaders upon their arrival in Korea.

Separately, Hyundai Motor Group and BMW said they would provide 260 and 100 vehicles, respectively, for leaders attending the summit, and visiting spouses and ministers.

The organizer said it accepted some 370 vehicles from the two automakers on Monday.

After the Seoul summit ends, the organizer will open an exhibition the following day at the summit venue for the general public to see how leaders held the meeting, used the lounge and had lunch and dinner. There will be a mock nuclear security summit as well.

Those who wish to participate in the exhibition should send e-mail applications to seoulnss@mofat.go.kr by March 25.

Individual tours will be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and guided tours, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

By Kim Yoon-mi (yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)