Efforts for Harmonization between Security and Safeguards in the ROK

Safeguards is a set of activities used to verify weather or not an individual state is developing a nuclear weapons program. A major component of Safeguards is a measure called MC&A (Material Counting and Accountancy). This measure involves the periodic checking of inventories for missing or stolen nuclear materials. MC&A can be used as one of the measures incorporated into physical protection to help prevent the unauthorized removal of nuclear material. Many states perform their MC&A activities independently; however, it is not easy to share information on the stock of nuclear material with security people. Cooperation between safeguards and security is an important matter with regard to the amendment of INFCIRC/225. Most representatives who participated at the amendment meeting agreed that there should be a system in place to immediately report any discrepancies in the inventory of nuclear material. In 2006 the ROK established an organization called KINAC (Korea Institute of Non- proliferation and Control) which is responsible for both safeguards and physical protection in Korea. KINAC’s Safeguards division has performed periodic MC&A activities and reports all of its results to the IAEA. The security division inspects nuclear facilities for their status of physical protection system against unauthorized removal of nuclear material and sabotage. These two divisions have closely worked together, particularly on MC&A (security personnel can be reported if there are any discrepancies with regard to their nuclear material inventory). The ROK has recognized the importance of the harmonization between these two areas and will continue still continue to do so in the future.