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IAEA to declare S. Korea free of nuclear weapons

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-03 15:56

SEOUL  -- The Republic of Korea has been formally cleared of allegedly attempting to build a secret atomic weapons program to counter Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear arsenal, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

An annual report titled "In the Safeguards Implementation Report" to be issued this week by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will declare South Korea is free of nuclear weapons, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying.

"The report says all nuclear materials in South Korea are being used peacefully," the ministry said.

The conclusion is based on years of scrutiny of South Korea's declaration of its atomic power-related activity and on-site inspections by the agency, it said.

The IAEA has looked into South Korea's nuclear program following a 2004 revelation that a group of the country's scientists produced a small amount of nuclear-weapons grade uranium in 2000. They said that it was part of pure research activity at the laboratory.