SEOUL, April 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's official media reported on Tuesday that the country detected traces of radioactive materials in major cities following Japan's nuclear crisis triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

   The North said in a report carried by the official Korean Central Broadcasting Station that traces of radioactive iodine and cesium were found in the cities of Pyongyang, Wonsan and Cheongjin, but the report did not disclose detection levels of such materials.

   "Radioactivity monitoring stations in Pyongyang, Wonsan and Cheongjin have detected radioactive materials like iodine and cesium, which have not been seen in the past," an official for North Korea's meteorological research agency said in the TV report.

   The traces were so small that they will not affect public health, the official said, adding that "close attention should be paid to monitoring and forecasting of weather changes."

   The news came as South Korea also reported air detection of radioactive materials after the massive earthquake and tsunami crippled nuclear reactors in Fukushima, sparking concerns of radioactive leaks.

   pbr@yna.co.kr
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