At a meeting on Friday in Vienna, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reproached South Korea for its undeclared nuclear experiments in which small amounts of weapons-grade nuclear material were produced.

Following a meeting of the 35-nation board of governors, the IAEA chided South Korea for breaching nuclear safeguards with the experiments, but allowed it to escape referral to the UN Security Council.

In a seven-point statement, it said "the quantities of nuclear material have not been significant and that to date there is no indication that the undeclared experiments have continued."

It said the IAEA's board of governors felt, as IAEA director general Mohamed ElBaradei has already said, that that "the failure of the ROK (Republic of Korea) to report these activities in accordance with its safeguards agreements is of serious concern."

However, the "Board welcomed the corrective actions taken by the ROK and the active cooperation it has provided to the agency," the IAEA said.

The foreign ministry here welcomed the statement.

"The government finds to its satisfaction the issue of the nuclear material experiments were objectively evaluated and properly dealt with in accordance with the nature of the case," it said in a statement.

"Consequently, suspicions such as those concerning the possibility of the government having condoned the experiments were cleared," it said.

"We are satisfied that the case has neither been referred to the UN Security Council nor have discussions on the case been put off to a next meeting of the IAEA governors," it said.

It said the government would strengthen control over nuclear-related activities to enhance transparency and would step up cooperation with the international community to prevent nuclear proliferation.

South Korea admitted in September that its scientists produced small amounts of plutonium in 1982 and enriched uranium in 2000 without informing the nuclear watchdog.

It said the tests were conducted without government authorization, had now stopped and were not designed to produce nuclear weapons.

However the revelations embarassed both Washington and Seoul which are trying to pressure North Korea to end its nuclear weapons drive.

South Korea's chief government delegate, Vice Foreign Minister Choi Young-jin, said in Vienna that controversy over the nation's nuclear material experiments has been fairly and properly evaluated and concluded by the IAEA.

"The government will extend full cooperation to the IAEA board's future confirmation efforts regarding (South Korea's) past nuclear material experiments," Choi said.

The ruling Uri Party also welcomed the IAEA statement as a "fair and balanced" assessment of the case.

"We hope that this decision will bring an end to suspicions raised at some corners of the international community that South Korea has ben carrying out nuclear tests for a military purpose," it said.

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