South Korean Science and TechnologyMinister Oh Myung Tuesday dismissed as a cliche the expression "serious concern" that the head of the international nuclear watchdog used the previous day, referring to South Korea's unauthorized nuclear experiments in the early 1980s and 2000.

"The term is one commonly used when things of this kind occur,"Oh was quoted by South Korean Yonhap News Agency as saying.

The minister reiterated that he found no problem with the report Director General Mohamed ElBaradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gave to Monday's IAEA assembly that said South Korean scientists produced 150 kilograms of uranium metal in the early 1980s so that part of it could be used in nuclear enrichment experiments in 2000.

"It was done 20 years ago and all the facilities are gone," he said.

The controversial experiments will be discussed at the IAEA meeting until Thursday.

South Korea acknowledged this month that its scientists conducted a uranium enrichment experiment in 2000 and extracted a small amount of plutonium in 1982.

Uranium and plutonium are two key ingredients for producing atomic weapons.

The IAEA will likely make a decision in the November meeting onwhether to refer the case to the United Nations Security Council.

In an effort to win the support of its allies on the controversial nuclear experiments, South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon late Monday called his counterparts in the United States, China and Japan.

Source: Xinhua