South Korea on Tuesday disclosed the full text of its revised civilian nuclear pact with the United States, laying down the conditions on which Seoul may develop and use nuclear reprocessing and enrichment technology.

The agreement was signed in Washington on Monday (local time) between Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, concluding more than four years of negotiations aimed at revising an earlier nuclear cooperation pact from 1974.

Both sides hailed the agreement as a boost to their alliance.

A key point in the "Agreement for Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of the United States of America Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy" addresses South Korea's wish to reprocess spent nuclear fuel to tackle its shortage of storage space for spent fuel rods.

The technology, known as "pyroprocessing," has yet to be fully developed for commercial and industrial use.

Article 11 of the agreement and section five of the approved minutes stipulate that South Korea may reprocess nuclear fuel in a way that leaves separated plutonium mixed with other elements. The measure aims to ensure the program is not converted to produce nuclear weapons.

"The Parties hereby agree that post-irradiation examination of irradiated nuclear material subject to the Agreement and the separation of radioisotopes from irradiated low enriched uranium subject to the Agreement may be conducted at the facilities in the United States of America and the Republic of Korea listed in Section 1 of Annex I to this Agreed Minute," according to Section Five of the approved minutes.

The agreement also addresses South Korea's wish to produce low-enriched uranium to secure a stable fuel supply.

Under Article 11 and Section Seven of the approved minutes, South Korea can enrich uranium with the U.S.' consent.

Uranium "may be enriched only if the parties agree in writing on an arrangement to do so following consultations undertaken bilaterally through the High Level Bilateral Commission" and "the enrichment is only up to less than 20 percent in the uranium isotope 235," according to Article 11.

The commission is to be set up under the agreement, led by a South Korean vice foreign minister and the U.S. deputy secretary of energy.

It will "facilitate the Parties' strategic cooperation and dialogue regarding areas of mutual interest in civil nuclear energy, including the civil nuclear fuel cycle."

These areas will include assured fuel supply, spent fuel management, export cooperation and nuclear security.

The agreement opens the path for South Korea to expand its exports of nuclear power plants.

"The Parties agree to the retransfer, subject to paragraph 3 of this Section, of unirradiated low enriched uranium, unirradiated source material, equipment and components subject to paragraph 2 of Article 10 of the Agreement to third countries or destinations identified as provided for in this Section," according to Section Three. (Yonhap)