South Korea Denies Nuclear Weapons Plans

[Rose Siding]

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea denied harboring any nuclear weapons ambitions Friday, saying a one-time uranium enrichment test by its scientists shouldn't derail U.S.-led efforts to dismantle rival North Korea's nuclear programs.

The denial -- stated repeatedly during a government interview with foreign news media -- came a day after South Korea admitted that its scientists conducted an unauthorized experiment in 2000 to enrich a small amount of uranium.
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South Korea says it's too early to say whether its scientists perpetrated any serious violation of international nuclear nonproliferation agreements and thus should be punished.

Oh also refused to say whether the experiment produced any weapons-grade uranium. He said different levels of enrichment took place but that the average was much lower than weapons grade.

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher criticized the secret experiment as "activity that should not have occurred." But he praised the U.S. ally for working with the IAEA to make sure the program has ended.

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