France urges South Korea to drop whaling plan

France on Thursday said it was deeply concerned by South Korea's plan to resume "scientific" whaling and urged Seoul to reconsider. "France is seriously concerned by South Korea's intention to launch a scientific whaling campaign," foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero told a press conference. "The killing of whales under the pretext of science is no longer justified," he said. "We regret this decision and call on South Korea to reconsider." South Korea unveiled its plan at an International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting last week in Panama, sparking an international outcry. It would use a loophole in a global moratorium that permits killing of whales for "scientific" research. Greenpeace described scientific whaling as "just thinly disguised commercial whaling". The United States, Australia and New Zealand also spoke out strongly against the plan, which Seoul on Wednesday said it may scrap following international pressure.