KOREA JOINS GLOBAL NUCLEAR ENERGY PARTNERSHIP

UNCLAS SEOUL 003494 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN, ISN/NESS, EAP/K; DOE FOR NE, PI, NNSA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TRGY KNNP KS SUBJECT: KOREA JOINS GLOBAL NUCLEAR ENERGY PARTNERSHIP (GNEP) REF: SEOUL 3110 (NOTAL) ¶1. Deputy Prime Minister (and Minister of Science and Technology) Kim Woo-sik, acting on behalf of the Korean Government, signed the Statement of Principles of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) on December 10. Hur Jae-yong, Director of Atomic Energy Cooperation at the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST),told ESTH that MOST has forwarded the signed original to the Department of Energy. Korea's decision to sign was confirmed in a cabinet-level meeting on December 6. ¶2. Korea becomes the 19th GNEP member, and the third (after Italy and Canada) to join in the months following the September 16 ministerial meeting where the first 16 members signed. By signing on December 10, Korea will be able to participate as a full member in the GNEP Steering Committee meeting beginning December 11 in Vienna. The Korean delegation will be headed by Park Chong-taek, the Minister Counselor at the Korean mission to the IAEA, and will include the Director of Atomic Energy Policy from MOST. VERSHBOW