Comparison of Main Features of Nuclear Security Culture Among Countries in Northeast Asia

The goals of this paper are to compare main features of nuclear security culture among countries in Northeast Asia, particularly among Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan and China, and also to find out common characteristics and ways of cooperation for strengthening regional nuclear security. In the first part, I’m going to describe general features of nuclear security culture in each country, based on the geopolitical, historic and cultural background. The aspects of nuclear energy use in three countries, and its consequent effect to the formation of nuclear security culture in combination with its generic culture would be touched. In the second part, I’ll try to find out, if there are, any common characteristics in nuclear security culture in the region. Homogeneity and heterogeneous natures among 3 countries in terms of nuclear security culture could show us how they would be interacting in connection with nuclear security. The last part will describe how the common characteristics could play a pivotal role for strengthening nuclear security above all in each national dimension as well as regional level. This paper will make use of comparative, historical and geopolitical approaches to reach the objectives settled. We could get a balanced understanding and useful insight into the regional nuclear security culture, which could lead us to find out ways of multilateral cooperation for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and co-existence among countries in Northeast Asia. The paper has 3 points of significance: First, it would be a pacesetting research of comparative approach on 3 countries in Northeast Asia in the perspective of nuclear security culture. Second, based on nuclear security culture, the paper would propose concrete ways of multilateral cooperation in Northeast Asia. Third, the paper could be a nutritive element for the following researches and activities on Human Resources Development (HRD) related to the 3 countries in conjunction with nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security culture.