SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean official says the government has decided to scrap a much-criticized plan to hunt whales for scientific research.

A presidential Blue House official said the decision came Tuesday at a meeting of the president and the prime minister. The official declined to be identified because it had yet to be announced formally.

South Korea's announcement earlier this month that it would allow research whaling drew protests from non-whaling nations and environmentalists. The critics suspected the plan was a cover for commercial whaling.

The prime minister's office acknowledged it has been mindful of the criticism.

South Korea had a long tradition of whaling before an international moratorium was introduced in 1986. Whaling for scientific research is one exception to the ban.