The Republic of Korea (ROK)'s national security adviser said yesterday there have been no signs that the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea (DPRK) is preparing to conduct a nuclear weapons test.

Concerns surfaced recently that the DPRK might test an atomic bomb to confirm its possession of nuclear weapons to the outside world, following revelations that it halted the operation of a key nuclear reactor to harvest fissile material from spent fuel rods.

However, Seoul's National Security Adviser Kwon Jin-ho has dismissed such concerns as unfounded.

"So far, no unusual moves have been detected," he told CBS radio, a local Christian broadcaster. "Such talk stems from misgivings or apprehensions in a corner of the US. We do not need to take it seriously."

However, Kwon urged Pyongyang to "seize the opportunity" given to it and return to six-party talks aimed at ending a prolonged confrontation over its nuclear issue.

He said five other countries including ROK, the United States, Russia, China and Japan all expected the DPRK to rejoin negotiations.

Last week, a US newspaper reported Washington had sent an alarm signal warning that the DPRK might be preparing to conduct a nuclear arms test.

The DPRK has long been suspected of possessing one or two nuclear bombs. However, some analysts say its nuclear arsenal would be significantly larger if, as claimed, it has made ready about 8,000 spent fuel rods from the Yongbyon nuclear reactor that had been mothballed under a 1994 accord with Washington.

The DPRK, the US and four other regional players have met three times to try to resolve the dispute, but little progress has resulted.

(China Daily April 28, 2005)