Third inspection team arrives in S. Korea

A five-member inspection team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived in South Korea on Tuesday for additional investigation in the country's past experiments with nuclear material, reported South Korean Yonhap News Agency.

It is the third time that the United Nation's nuclear watchdog sent an inspectors to South Korea after Seoul reported to the agency earlier this year that its scientists extracted or enriched small amounts of plutonium and uranium, the two key ingredients ofatomic bombs, in 1982 and 2000.

South Korean officials underscored many times that the two one-off laboratory experiments were isolated incidents and were unrelated to any weapons program.

The two earlier inspection teams visited on Aug. 31-Sept. 4 andSept. 19-26 to look into the South Korean explanations.

This week's inspection will last until Sunday. The IAEA officials are expected to visit the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daejeon city, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul, anda research center in northern Seoul's Gongneung-dong, Yonhap said.

Upon arriving at Incheon International Airport, the five inspectors refused to comment on their inspection, said Yonhap.

Previously, South Korean officials said this time's investigation will be the last step by the IAEA to prepare a finalreport to its 35-nation board of governors, which is scheduled to convene a meeting on Nov. 25.

The board is expected to make a final decision at this month's meeting on whether to refer South Korea to the UN Security Councilover the controversial experiments.

Source: Xinhua