1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be hosting the “Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) Asia-Pacific Workshop” on countering the illegal proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), their delivery systems, and related materials on July 14-15 in Seoul.

o This workshop aims to increase participating countries’ capacity for interdiction through strengthened cooperation network among relevant officials and experts at home and abroad, and information sharing with regard to recent proliferation trends and their interdiction experiences.

o The workshop will bring together over 40 experts and officials from PSI endorsees in the Asia-Pacific region, including the ROK, the U.S., Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as PSI endorsees in Europe, including the U.K., France and Italy.

2. The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is an international cooperation mechanism launched in 2003 to prevent the illegal proliferation of WMDs, their delivery systems, and related materials. Since the ROK endorsed the PSI in 2009, it has been contributing to the expansion and development of the PSI as a member of the PSI OEG.

o With the number of PSI endorsees growing from 11 to 105 over the last 12 years, the PSI has now developed into a major tool for international cooperation in the field of counterproliferation.

3. The forthcoming workshop is expected to strengthen cooperation on the PSI among relevant officials and experts at home and abroad and help increase the interdiction capabilities of major PSI endorsees in the Asia-Pacific region by sharing relevant experiences, as well as contribute to further implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions against North Korea which prohibit the proliferation of WMD-related items.

o As there is a growing risk of an increase in transactions of WMD-related goods amid the Asia-Pacific’s increasing share of world trade, it is imperative to make preemptive efforts in response to such challenges.

*unofficial translation