Traces of xenon gas, a radionuclide, were detected in South Korea, the nuclear safety agency said Friday, five days after North Korea conducted its most powerful nuclear test.
The the radioactive material, the xenon-133 isotope, was found in the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission's analysis of ground, air and maritime samplings that were collected locally after the latest nuclear test by the North, according to the agency.
Defying international warnings, North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful yet nuclear test Sunday, claiming it was a hydrogen bomb that can be loaded atop an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The detected amount measures 0.43 milibecquerel per cubic meter or 0.03 mBq/㎥, according to the analysis.
The agency is currently tracking down the inflow of the material to conclude whether it is a result of the nuclear test.
The agency added, however, that the amount would not have any health effects as South Korea's background radiation currently remains at the usual level of 50-300 nanosieverts per hour. (Yonhap)
