SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's artificial rain experiment over the country's western waters to reduce fine dust ended in failure, local media reported Monday citing the weather agency and the environment ministry.

Research institutes of the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) and the Ministry of Environment jointly carried out the artificial precipitation experiment in waters off the western coast Friday by dispersing silver iodide, a chemical that collects water vapor in clouds.

The dispersion increased the size of precipitation particles, but no rain or snow was observed. Only the weak misty rain was detected for several minutes from a mobile observation vehicle.

Despite the little success, the experiment was an opportunity to accumulate technology on the practical use of the artificial precipitation to reduce fine dust, the weather agency and the environment ministry were quoted as saying.

The agency and the ministry planned to conduct 14 more artificial rain experiments this year. The next one could be carried out at a time when the fine dust concentration is expected to rise.