A statement by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) this week announced the Republic of Korea “had changed its position regarding its initial plan on scientific whaling and would instead undertake research using non-lethal methods.”

This follows the Korean Government announcement in 2012 in July at the IWC meeting in Panama City, that revealed it was considering hunting minke whales off the Korean Peninsula for scientific research...

Conservation charities urged Korea to reconsider its position and instead called for non-lethal whale research...

There is a loophole in the whaling treaty that allows for ‘scientific whaling', which environment groups strongly oppose...

Charities including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Humane Society International (HSI), and The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) questioned Korea’s decision...

Greenpeace has described scientific whaling as "just thinly disguised commercial whaling...”

In particular, campaigners were appalled by the initial plan to hunt endangered minke whales...

On the turnaround pro-whale charities have been quick to praise Korea while highlighting Japan as the sole country that pursues scientific whaling...

Patrick Ramage, of IFAW, said: “Korea should be congratulated for rejecting the shambolic and cruel course sadly still being pursued by Japan’s Fisheries Agency and for instead embracing 21st Century science...

“So-called scientific whaling is a backward, discredited and outmoded practice that produces useless science.”

Charities applauding the Korean decision to conduct humane research instead include WWF - the World Wildlife Fund, who also spotlighted Japan’s position.

Wendy Elliott, of WWF International says: “We hope that this positive move is a step towards strengthened conservation of whales in Korean waters.

"Korea’s decision means that Japan is the only country left to continue this outdated practice.

"We hope this is a wake-up call that now is the time to end Japanese scientific whaling in the Southern Ocean for good.”

Studies globally consistently show widespread approval for whale conservation...

Even in Japan whaling has little support with a recent study by the Nippon Research Centre, revealing nine out of ten people had not purchased whale meat in the last year...

The vast majority of the Japanese public were shown to be against whaling, and teenagers were particularly opposed...

Greenpeace says over 100,000 of its supporters lobbied South Korean Prime Minister, Kim Hwang-sik over the recent issue...

Greenpeace oceans campaigner Jeonghee Han said: “The South Korean government’s decision to not take up scientific whaling is another sign that commercial whaling has no place in our oceans...

“The voices of people from South Korea and the entire world have been heard...”