The 6th International Conference on Isotopes (6ICI) which was held on 12-16 April 2008 at Sheraton Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul was wrapped up successfully. The Conference was attended by more than a thousand participants, about half of them being full period participants. The 6ICI was accompanied by the 2008 CJK Conference on Radiation and Radioisotope Utilization and the Mid-term Progress Review of RCA Project (RAS/8/107, Raising Productivity in the Coal, Minerals and Petrochemical Industries by using NAS and Radiotracers).

The Conference was also a good occasion for promoting the RCA awareness for which RCARO participated with several activities including, among others:

- operation of an exhibition booth
- presentation on RCA and RCARO activities at occasions
- assistance for participants from RCA projects

A number of participants in the Conference have visited to the exhibition booth, including, among others, Dr. Do-Yeon Kim, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology in Korea, Dr. Natesan Ramamoorthy, IAEA Director for Division of Physical & Chemical Science, Dr. Carlito Aleta from the Philippines and Mr Kaauaki Yanagisawa from Japan, the previous RCA coordinators of the IAEA. Dr. de Villier from NECSA (South Africa) has also visited to the booth and expressed his interest in the operation of the RCARO as a member involved in the activities of the AFRA. During the conference, Mr. Kun-Mo Choi, Director of RCARO, gave a welcome speech at the reception and made a presentation at the plenary session of the CJK Congress over the activities of the RCA.

It was announced by the International Monitoring and Steering Committee (IMSC) of the Secretariat of the Conference that a new body is to be newly launched as World Council of Isotopes is to be launched with a plan to hold its first meeting in conjunction to the IAEA General Conference in the coming September and that the venue for the next ICI (7th) to be held in 2011 was decided to be Moscow.

For more information contact Mr Jae-Sol Lee, RCARO,
at jaesollee@rcaro.org.