The new U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security says Washington will not allow South Korea to reprocess nuclear fuel.

Ellen Tauscher, who assumed office last week, made the statement in a series of answers to written questions posed by Senator Richard Lugar.

Tauscher said if South Korea sets up nuclear reprocessing plants it would be violating a 1992 joint declaration on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Tauscher said that although the U.S. has agreed to reprocessing activities by the European Union, India and Japan it does not believe Washington should hold the same position with South Korea or Taiwan.