As parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the NPT, are meeting at the UN in New York to prepare for a review of the treaty next year, Japanese and South Korean civil society and peace activists are rallying behind the establishment of a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone in Northeast Asia as a means to achieving peace and stability in the region.

Nuclear effects

However, this concept is not without its challenges. UN Radio's Jocelyne Sambira spoke to Ji Hyun Lee of the Nautilus Institute in South Korea.

LEE: In South Korea the nuclear power energy account for 40% of the whole energy supply and the South government have a plan to build more nuclear power plants by 2030 and at that time the nuclear energy plants can supply the energy by 60% of the nation's energy supply. It is kind of the trend nowadays because as a sustainable energy Japan and South Korea try to build more nuclear power plants. They promote to the public it is a clean and secure energy.

SAMBIRA: You talked of a possible threat of going from nuclear energy to nuclear weapons. Is it really something that is automatic.

LEE: It is not automatic and we really should be careful about exaggerating the intention of each country. Even though Japan's plutonium stockpile is very high and they have already the technology to develop nuclear weapons, we cannot say the Japan government has a plan to develop nuclear weapons. It is a very sensitive issue. I just pointed out that the international concern about the plutonium stockpile is very serious.

SAMBIRA: Your organization does monitoring. How can you do this and are you allowed access or is it something that is very difficult?

LEE: Our initial goal was to develop a methodology to measure the nuclear propensity of each country in Northeast Asia. Until now we face some obstacles because the intention of each country is very sensitive. It is not easy to measure how Japan and South Korea intend to use their nuclear energy, technology or expenditure stockpile to develop nuclear weapons. We are in discussion of that and we try to conduct public opinion polls.

SAMBIRA: How do people feel when they see a neighboring country with those weapons?

LEE: According to the public opinion survey conducted after nuclear weapons test of North Korea, South Koreans answered they were in favor of developing nuclear weapons against North Korea.

SAMBIRA: What message do you want people in the world now to understand and in your respective countries?

LEE: In terms of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, I think the cooperation between Japan and South Korea is very critical because in the six party talks each country has their own purpose and own national interest. The South Koreans live in the Korean peninsula and the Japanese are very close to the Korean peninsula so we should focus on realizing denuclearization. Secondly, I think we need patience because when we push North Korea, the results are not that bright. I think the neighborhood needs to be patient for negotiating with North Korea.

PRES: Ji Hyun Lee of the Nautilus Institute in South Korea speaking to UN Radio's Jocelyne Sambira.

(duration: 4'15")