President Lee Myung-bak is expected to announce a nuclear material reduction plan at a special press conference after compiling some participating countries’ pledges during the Nuclear Security Summit to take place in Seoul from March 26-27.

Some countries including the U.S. and Russia are expected to put forward their plans to reduce both plutonium and uranium materials that can be used for building nuclear weapons, news reports here said.

“After the plenary session is over (on March 27), President Lee hosting the summit will unveil the reduction plan during a special press conference,” a high-level government official told the local media.

“Each country plans to put forward their concrete reduction figures during the plenary session. The outcome may be the disappearance of fissile material that could be used to build thousands of nuclear weapons.”

Some countries are expected to unveil their plans to return highly-enriched uranium that were provided by the U.S. and Russia, and convert their uranium-based research reactors into ones using low-enriched uranium.

Nearly 10 countries including Canada, Chile and Ukraine have removed or returned their highly-enriched uranium totaling about 400 kilograms over the past two years since the end of the first summit in Washington in April 2010.

The premier forum on nuclear security, safety and safeguards is to be attended by the leaders of 53 countries and four international organizations such as the United Nations.

Except for the 10 countries which will be represented by their prime ministers or other high-level officials, a total of 48 heads of state are expected to join the largest global forum ever to take place in Seoul.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)