The South Korean government officially confirmed yesterday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted a nuclear test on Oct. 9.

The confirmation came from the analysis of a seismic wave by the Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources and the detection of Xenon in South Korea, as well as the detection of radioactive materials by the United Sates after the DPRK's nuclear test around the suspected test site area, said the nation's Ministry of Science and Technology.

"The North's underground nuclear test site is presumed to be Pungkyeri, Kilju County in North Hamgyong Province," the Ministry said.

The Ministry' spokesman Lee Jae-young said that the radioactive gas was found after the analysis of air samples collected in the country using a device borrowed from Sweden. But the spokesman declined to reveal the exact area where Xenon was detected, by saying that it is a "matter of national security."