Nuclear Safeguards with Digital Transformation for Sustainable International Development

The current international aid mechanism is unsustainable because the value flows unidirectionally. However, science, technology, and innovation (STI) can promote sustainability in international development cooperation. Particularly, the paper suggests a nuclear energy project and the nuclear safeguards system as sustainable international development programs in the context of digital transformation. The digital transformation of society requires a large, clean, and stable electricity supply, which nuclear energy can provide. Also, the technological innovations that can be achieved through the digitalization of a nuclear facility make the application of nuclear technology easier. Therefore, nuclear energy is expected to expand to meet the increasing demands of the future. However, the expansion of nuclear technology will increase the risk of nuclear proliferation. Therefore, an adjustment and enhancement of the nuclear safeguards system is required. By doing so, nuclear safeguards will be viable means of sustainable international development cooperation in the future. Based on the findings, the paper proposes a nuclear energy project and the safeguards as an international development cooperation program for North Korea’s denuclearization. Keywords: Nuclear safeguards, digital transformation, sustainable development, international cooperation