Thursday, April 30, 2026
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
United Nations Headquarters, Conference Room A, New York
[11th NPT Review Conference] UN Side Event Co-hosted by SPARK and the Organizing Committee
During the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), SPARK and The A-Bomb Tribunal Organizing Committee co-hosted a side event at the United Nations Headquarters. Titled “Building Lasting Peace and Denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia: Beyond Deterrence and Alliances, Justice for Korean A-Bomb Victims,” the event brought together 45 participants.
The program was divided into two sessions. In Part I, Seth Shelden, General Counsel and United Nations Liaison for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), delivered remarks, followed by testimonies from Korean A-bomb victims. Part II featured presentations by SPARK and members of the Organizing Committee, along with a Q&A session.
Participants attend the UN side event.
The event reaffirmed the significance of the International People’s Tribunal on Atomic Bombings amid growing nuclear tensions in Northeast Asia. Participants expressed strong support for the tribunal and their commitment to the upcoming oral hearings in Seoul.
Korean A-bomb victims Sim Jin-tae and Han Jeong-sun reflected that participants from diverse backgrounds “felt united through the People’s Tribunal.”
Seth Shelden emphasized that the voices of nuclear victims must be central to the movement, highlighting the lack of attention to humanitarian consequences in NPT discussions and expressing ICAN’s willingness to support international dissemination of the tribunal’s outcomes.
As plaintiffs, Sim Jin-tae and Han Jeong-sun shared powerful testimonies on the historical and ongoing suffering of Korean A-bomb victims. Sim called for an apology and compensation from the United States, while Han underscored the intergenerational impact of nuclear harm and the importance of creating a space for victims to speak out.
Korean A-bomb survivors deliver their testimonies
In Part II, SPARK outlined the background and purpose of the International People’s Tribunal as an effort to address a reality in which victims exist without accountable perpetrators and to pursue delayed justice. SPARK also emphasized its broader goal of holding the United States accountable for both past nuclear use and present nuclear tensions, while contributing to denuclearization. The organization introduced its ongoing preparations and announced that oral hearings will take place in Seoul from November 13 to 15, alongside a roundtable with victims, experts, and partner organizations.
Tomoki Fukui (John Jay College) highlighted that the histories of nuclear victims—including Korean survivors and those in the Marshall Islands—are rooted in imperialism, emphasizing the tribunal’s role in revealing both the origins of the nuclear age and its ongoing legacy.
Mari Inoue (The Manhattan Project for a Nuclear-Free World) expressed her apology as a Japanese citizen for colonial-era suffering and raised concerns about increasing nuclear dependency in South Korea and Japan, calling for regional denuclearization measures including restrictions on nuclear submarines and nuclear materials.
Yayoi Tsuchida (Japan Council Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs) warned of escalating tensions in Northeast Asia, stressing that military solutions are not viable and that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a matter of survival. She also emphasized the importance of raising public awareness and expressed support for participation in the Seoul hearings.
Panelists deliver their remarks during the discussion
Rinor Jani (Pathways to Peace) highlighted the humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons and stressed the need for reducing hostility, building trust, and pursuing phased agreements combined with a peace treaty to ensure sustainable security on the Korean Peninsula.
A student representative from Peace Action New York State emphasized the importance of youth action, stating that young people must carry forward the stories of survivors and act for peace when governments fail to do so.
Joughun Kapsong Kim (Korean American Peace Fund) underscored the urgency of addressing the growing risk of nuclear war, stating that holding the United States accountable for the 1945 atomic bombings is essential not only for justice, but also for preventing future catastrophe.
This event marked a meaningful step in strengthening international solidarity around the International People’s Tribunal, built upon ongoing collaboration since the Organizing Committee’s formation in 2024.
Finally, Joughun Kapsong Kim of the Korean American Peace Fund stressed the urgency of addressing the growing risk of nuclear war and pointed to the absence of effective leadership to manage the crisis. He stated, “Holding the United States accountable for the atomic bombings of 1945 is not merely about the past—it is an urgent act to prevent nuclear war today.”
Participants attend the UN side event
This event marked a meaningful step in strengthening solidarity around the International People’s Tribunal. It was made possible by the steady foundation built through monthly meetings since the formation of the Organizing Committee in 2024.
Thursday, April 30, 2026
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
United Nations Headquarters, Conference Room A, New York
[11th NPT Review Conference] UN Side Event Co-hosted by SPARK and the Organizing Committee
During the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), SPARK and The A-Bomb Tribunal Organizing Committee co-hosted a side event at the United Nations Headquarters. Titled “Building Lasting Peace and Denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia: Beyond Deterrence and Alliances, Justice for Korean A-Bomb Victims,” the event brought together 45 participants.
The program was divided into two sessions. In Part I, Seth Shelden, General Counsel and United Nations Liaison for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), delivered remarks, followed by testimonies from Korean A-bomb victims. Part II featured presentations by SPARK and members of the Organizing Committee, along with a Q&A session.
Participants attend the UN side event.
The event reaffirmed the significance of the International People’s Tribunal on Atomic Bombings amid growing nuclear tensions in Northeast Asia. Participants expressed strong support for the tribunal and their commitment to the upcoming oral hearings in Seoul.
Korean A-bomb victims Sim Jin-tae and Han Jeong-sun reflected that participants from diverse backgrounds “felt united through the People’s Tribunal.”
Seth Shelden emphasized that the voices of nuclear victims must be central to the movement, highlighting the lack of attention to humanitarian consequences in NPT discussions and expressing ICAN’s willingness to support international dissemination of the tribunal’s outcomes.
As plaintiffs, Sim Jin-tae and Han Jeong-sun shared powerful testimonies on the historical and ongoing suffering of Korean A-bomb victims. Sim called for an apology and compensation from the United States, while Han underscored the intergenerational impact of nuclear harm and the importance of creating a space for victims to speak out.
Korean A-bomb survivors deliver their testimonies
In Part II, SPARK outlined the background and purpose of the International People’s Tribunal as an effort to address a reality in which victims exist without accountable perpetrators and to pursue delayed justice. SPARK also emphasized its broader goal of holding the United States accountable for both past nuclear use and present nuclear tensions, while contributing to denuclearization. The organization introduced its ongoing preparations and announced that oral hearings will take place in Seoul from November 13 to 15, alongside a roundtable with victims, experts, and partner organizations.
Tomoki Fukui (John Jay College) highlighted that the histories of nuclear victims—including Korean survivors and those in the Marshall Islands—are rooted in imperialism, emphasizing the tribunal’s role in revealing both the origins of the nuclear age and its ongoing legacy.
Mari Inoue (The Manhattan Project for a Nuclear-Free World) expressed her apology as a Japanese citizen for colonial-era suffering and raised concerns about increasing nuclear dependency in South Korea and Japan, calling for regional denuclearization measures including restrictions on nuclear submarines and nuclear materials.
Yayoi Tsuchida (Japan Council Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs) warned of escalating tensions in Northeast Asia, stressing that military solutions are not viable and that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a matter of survival. She also emphasized the importance of raising public awareness and expressed support for participation in the Seoul hearings.
Panelists deliver their remarks during the discussion
Rinor Jani (Pathways to Peace) highlighted the humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons and stressed the need for reducing hostility, building trust, and pursuing phased agreements combined with a peace treaty to ensure sustainable security on the Korean Peninsula.
A student representative from Peace Action New York State emphasized the importance of youth action, stating that young people must carry forward the stories of survivors and act for peace when governments fail to do so.
Joughun Kapsong Kim (Korean American Peace Fund) underscored the urgency of addressing the growing risk of nuclear war, stating that holding the United States accountable for the 1945 atomic bombings is essential not only for justice, but also for preventing future catastrophe.
This event marked a meaningful step in strengthening international solidarity around the International People’s Tribunal, built upon ongoing collaboration since the Organizing Committee’s formation in 2024.
Finally, Joughun Kapsong Kim of the Korean American Peace Fund stressed the urgency of addressing the growing risk of nuclear war and pointed to the absence of effective leadership to manage the crisis. He stated, “Holding the United States accountable for the atomic bombings of 1945 is not merely about the past—it is an urgent act to prevent nuclear war today.”
Participants attend the UN side event
This event marked a meaningful step in strengthening solidarity around the International People’s Tribunal. It was made possible by the steady foundation built through monthly meetings since the formation of the Organizing Committee in 2024.