South Korea has reiterated its pledge to not pursue nuclear weapons.

A senior government official says South Korea will also uphold the principle of non-proliferation and transparency in related activities.

The official said Seoul is aiming to become an exemplary nuclear country, like Canada and Japan, both of which enjoy the highest level of unsanctioned use of nuclear materials for peaceful purposes.

The official also said South Korea has faced limits in peaceful utilization of atomic power in the fields of energy and apparel industries due to a lack of trust from the international community over Seoul's transparency on nuclear-related matters.