1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold a “Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) workshop” in Seoul on October 16-18 in a bid to help strengthen international capacity for responding to nuclear and radiological terrorism on the basis of the nuclear security capability reinforced through the Republic of Korea (ROK)-United States (U.S.) alliance.

° The GICNT is an international partnership for responding to nuclear terrorism, co-chaired by the U.S. and the Russian Federation. This partnership of 89 partner nations is seen to complement the pivotal role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with its differentiated expertise in nuclear security.

° The ROK hosted the 7^th GICNT Plenary Meeting in 2011.

2. The forthcoming workshop, a platform for constructive discussions where experts in nuclear/radiological terrorism responses will identify common challenges and share exemplary cases, will consist of panel discussions and tabletop exercises (TTXs).

° The three-day workshop will cover a range of matters necessary for responding to nuclear and radiological terrorism, including inter-agency coordination, emergency medical services, on-site responses by law enforcement agencies such as police, public communication, and consequent management.

3. In his welcoming remarks, Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kang Jeong-sik plans to introduce the ROK government’s efforts to strengthen the nuclear security regime; mention that by holding the workshop, the ROK seeks to help strengthen capacity for responding to nuclear and radiological terrorism not only at home but also in the region; and highlight the need for communication and cooperation between countries.

4. ASEAN member countries, including the Kingdom of Thailand, Malaysia, the Republic of the Philippines, the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, have been invited to the workshop to take place ahead of the 2019 ASEAN-Republic of KOREA Commemorative Summit, which will be held in November. Accordingly, the workshop is expected to serve as an opportunity to promote exchanges between nuclear security experts at home and of ASEAN member countries and thereby to continue to expand cooperation with the ASEAN region.