When President Park Geun-hye arrives in the
Hague next week for the 2014 Nuclear Security
Summit,... she's hoping to do so with news
that Korea's National Assembly has passed
legislation related to protecting nuclear
materials.
But the bill has been held up in parliament
for two years now, ever since Seoul hosted
the summit.... due to political gridlock.
Our Yoo Li-an reports.
President Park Geun-hye has urged lawmakers
to promptly pass a nuclear security bill ahead
of her attendance at the 2014 Nuclear Security
Summit in the Netherlands next week.
The NSS is a biennial gathering of world leaders
aimed to prevent nuclear terrorism.
At a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, President Park
expressed regret... that the National Assembly
has failed to approve legislation related
to protecting nuclear materials and preventing
nuclear disasters... in the two years since
Seoul hosted the global conference.
In the 2012 Seoul communique, participating
nations had agreed to work toward preventing
criminals and terrorists from getting their
hands on nuclear materials.
The bill must be passed before Korea can ratify
two international treaties on preventing nuclear
terrorism.
Both the ruling and main opposition parties
agree that the nuclear security legislation
is important, but the bill has been held up
in the National Assembly due to political
wrangling over other issues of contention.
The ruling Saenuri Party condemned the main
opposition Democratic Party for refusing to
pass the urgent bill, calling the move political
warfare.
It has asked that an extraordinary session
of the National Assembly be convened on Thursday,...
but without the DP's cooperation, the bill
is unlikely to pass.
The DP says the Saenuri Party is to blame
for the impasse... because it has refused
to pass bills related to the public's livelihood.
Yoo Li-an, Arirang News.
