US in contact with IAEA over South Korea uranium activity

The United States said on Thursday that it had been in contact with the International AtomicˇˇEnergy Agency (IAEA) and South Korea about the latter's uranium enrichment activity and stressed South Korea's voluntary report ofthe activity to the IAEA.

"The information about this activity was provided to the agencyby Korea as part of its initial declaration under the additional protocol to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty which Korea voluntarily adopted in February 2004," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said at a news briefing.

"We expect that the agency will fully investigate the matter and keep the Board of Governors fully informed. It is important that all such activity be investigated," Boucher said.

Boucher said that when the investigation is complete, the United States and other members of the board will be able to draw the "appropriate" conclusions.

"I would say that South Korea has voluntarily reported this activity. They are cooperating fully and proactively in order to demonstrate that the activity has been eliminated and it is no longer cause for concern. Their transparency and cooperation in resolving this matter is a strong example of how states should respond in complying with their obligations under the nonproliferation treaty," Boucher said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is probing whether several South Korean scientists have conducted an experiment on separating uranium four years ago,reported the SouthKorean Yonhap News Agency on Thursday.

Yonhap quoted sources at the South Korean Science and Technology Ministry as saying that the IAEA sent investigators to South Korea on Aug. 29 after receiving South Korean government's report that several South Korean scientists have conducted such experiment from January to February in 2000.

Source: Xinhua