President Obama will travel to South Korea next week in an effort to emphasize the United States' commitment to preventing nuclear terrorism and bolster nuclear safety.

The trip will start Monday in Seoul, where Obama will attend the Nuclear Security Summit to discuss efforts to secure vulnerable nuclear material within four years.

More than 50 world leaders are expected to attend the summit where there will be a renewed focus on nuclear safety in the wake of the Japan crisis that was sparked by a magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami last spring. The disaster hit the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, triggering explosions, radioactive leaks and evacuations.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Thomas D'Agostino, National Nuclear Security Administration administrator and Department of Energy undersecretary for nuclear security, will accompany the president.

Chu will travel to Tokyo on Wednesday and Thursday to emphasize strong cooperation between the United States and Japan on international security, economic and energy issues.

Chu will participate in a trilateral workshop on critical materials with Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano, European Parliament member Reinhard Bütikofer and Hans Dietmar Schweistgut, the European Union's ambassador to Japan.