In March 2012, South Korea will be hosting the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. Mark Fitzpatrick, director of the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Programme at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, will introduce some of the issues at December’s Global Korea Lecture at the KCC. Pre-registration necessary.
North Korea’s nuclear threat and the upcoming Seoul Nuclear Security Summit
Date: Thursday 8 December 2011
Time: 6.30pm – 9pm (Drinks reception starts at 6pm.)
Venue: Korean Cultural Centre UK, Grand Buildings, 1-3 Strand, London WC2N 5BW
Speaker: Mark FitzpatrickThis event is free and open to all, but places are limited, so please RSVP to [email protected]
North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme presents one of the gravest challenges to regional peace and security and to the global non-proliferation regime. The possibility of nuclear terrorism is another real threat. The Republic of Korea is a leader in the fight against both of these nuclear dangers, in its policy vis-a-vis North Korea and in its hosting next March of the second Nuclear Security Summit, following on from the successful summit held in Washington in 2010. Mark Fitzpatrick, will talk about these nuclear dangers and the role played by Seoul and other states in countering them.
About the Speaker
Mark Fitzpatrick is director of the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Programme at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), where his research focuses on nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security. His most recent publication, in July 2011 is a book-length IISS strategic dossiers on North Korean Security Challenges, for which he was the editor. He was also the editor of five other Strategic Dossiers dealing with Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes, nuclear programmes in Southeast Asia and in the Middle East, and nuclear black markets. He is also the author of The Iranian Nuclear Crisis: Avoiding worst-case outcomes (2008) and of many journal articles on nuclear issues. He has lectured throughout the world and is a frequent media commentator on nuclear-related subjects.
Mr Fitzpatrick joined IISS in 2005 after a 26-year career in the US Department of State. His last posting included two years as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Non-proliferation (acting). Previous to this he served for four years at the US Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, in charge of liaison with the International Atomic Energy Agency. He was also posted to Seoul, Tokyo (twice) and Wellington. He earned a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1976, and he joined officers of the Japanese Self Defence Forces in a one-year post-graduate study program (1990-1991) at the Japanese National Institute of Defence, where his dissertation on Korean unification was published in journals in Japan and South Korea.
This event is hosted by the Press Office, Embassy of the Republic of Korea.
For further information please contact Hye-Jung Wadey, Press Office
Call 020 7227 5500 (ext.615) | Email [email protected]