Nuclear Summit 2012 Chuckles

There’s been lots of hype in Korea recently about the World Nuclear Summit which will be hosted in Seoul next week. It is the biggest international event South Korea has ever hosted, and is seen here as another sign, along with hosting last year’s G20 summit, of the country’s rising international status.

The nuclear issue is particularly important for Korea. Even after the nuclear disaster that followed the earthquake in Fukushima, Japan last year Korea relies on nuclear power for 31% of its electricity, with a planned increase to 59% by 2030.

S. Korean bodyguards perform anti-terrorist drills ahead of the 2012 Nuclear Summit in Seoul

Perhaps the more pressing, however, is the development of nuclear arms just north of the border. It will be interesting to see what the world decides to do about next week.

Anyhow, trivia aside, I wanted to share a little chuckle I had to myself when I heard the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s idea to control the inevitable surge in traffic around the summit.

They’ve been running a “leave your car at home” campaign to get drivers to voluntarily give up driving for the duration of the summit and opt for public transport instead.

In this campaign they are asking drivers with number plates ending in an even number to subsitute driving for public transport on the 26th, and those with odd numbers to make the sacrifice on the 27th.

I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but every time I hear mention of it I smile a little. It’s just so awfully… quaint?

I doubt, however, that I’ll be joining the 62% of people who say they’ll be observing the government’s request. I’m going to need a little more persuasion if I’m going to be pulled out of bed half an hour early to catch two busses to work.