Gov"t to Sign IAEA"s Additional Protocol

The government will sign the additional protocol of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the end of March this year. This means that the target of investigations related to nuclear activities will be enlarged to include research activities.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) announced on February 7 that it made this decision during technical consultations with the IAEA which were held from February 1 to 3 in Vienna, Austria.
When and if the government signs and the National Assembly approves this protocol, Korea should open nuclear research facilities and report the contents of research related to nuclear activities in cases where the IAEA asks for it.
The current IAEA pact only permits investigations into the facilities and equipment relating to nuclear activites.
A source from MOFAT explained, 'This protocol was introduced in order to prevent nuclear development from the very beginning of the research.'
He added, 'If we don't sign this protocol, we will be sactioned by the IAEA when importing nuclear fuel.'
Until now, 35 countries along with the U.S., Japan and China have signed this protocol.