"We (the government) urge the DPRK again to observe all the obligations stipulated in the 1994 Geneva Accord, Inter-Korean De-nuclearization Declaration, Non-proliferation Treaty and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards," Foreign Ministry spokesman Sok Dong-yon said in the statement.

The statement was released after a National Security Council (NSC) meeting was hastily convened following the DPRK Foreign Ministry declaration, via the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) inthe afternoon.

"Our government expresses strong regret and concern about the North's declaration as it can create tension on the Korean Peninsula," the South Korean spokesman said.

Sok emphasized that the DPRK's nuclear issues should be addressed peacefully, through dialogue as soon as possible.

The government will closely watch future developments while maintaining its close cooperation with the United States and Japan,he added.

A DPRK's Foreign Ministry spokesman, earlier on Thursday, declared that the DPRK will immediately resume the operation and construction of nuclear facilities required for the production of electric power.

The decision in November by the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) to suspend heavy oil shipments to the country has caused a great hole on DPRK's electricity production.

The KEDO, an international consortium led by the United States,claimed that confirmation by the DPRK to visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, James Kelly,in October, that it had a secret nuclear development plan violatedthe 1994 Agreed Framework.

In the treaty, signed by the United States and the DPRK, the DPRK agreed to suspend its nuclear program in return for two light water reactors and 500,000 tons of heavy oil each year provided by the US government.

(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2002)