1. Ambassador to the Netherlands Kim Young-won was elected to serve a one-year term as 
Vice-Chairman of the Conference of the States Parties on November 30 at the 14th session 
(11.30-12.4) of the Conference of the States Parties of the OPCW, located in The Hague.

- The OPCW consists of five regional groups, and each group nominates two candidates for 
the post of Vice-Chairman.

2. The OPCW is an international organization that implements the Chemical Weapons Convention 
(CWC), which, as part of international disarmament efforts, entered into force in 1997 to rid the world 
of chemical weapons. The OPCW comprises 188 member states, and the Convention aims to destroy 
all chemical weapons that are being produced or possessed by countries around the world by April, 
2012. The Convention also entirely prohibits the development, production, and possession of all 
chemical weapons.

3. Ambassador Kim Young-won, who has been elected as Vice-Chairman of the OPCW Conference 
of the States Parties, will work to facilitate consultations among States Parties to ensure the effective 
implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and represent the views of States Parties in 
Asia.

4. With Ambassador Kim’s election as Vice-Chairman, it is expected that our government will play 
a greater role in the field of chemical weapons and international disarmament. 


                            Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT 

* unofficial translation