Aid workers urge Seoul to lift ban on humanitarian visits to N. Korea

By Kim Hyun
SEOUL, June 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korean aid workers on Thursday urged the Seoul
government to ease restrictions on humanitarian visits and aid shipments to North
Korea, saying that humanitarian causes should come before political
considerations.
Seoul imposed limited restrictions on non-governmental trips to North Korea
following the North's long-range rocket launch in April. The ban was expanded to
almost all humanitarian workers after the communist state's nuclear test on May
25.
"I'm deeply ashamed of this situation," Choi Byung-mo, head of Movement for One
Corea, said in a press conference attended by representatives of 56 Seoul-based
humanitarian aid groups.
"Humanitarian operations are meant to be conducted without making a fuss, so it's
deeply regrettable that we were forced to do this publicly to press our call on
the government," Choi said.
South Korea's government and private aid to North Korea during the January-May
period fell 60 percent year-on-year to US$15.18 million from $26.33 million,
according to data from the Unification Ministry.
President Lee Myung-bak suspended rice and fertilizer aid to the North after
taking office last year, adopting a tougher stance on North Korea's nuclear
program. Non-governmental assistance was also suspended after the North's second
nuclear explosion, which prompted Seoul to ban all border trips with the
exception of those traveling to a joint industrial park in the North's border
town of Kaesong.
Lee has repeatedly said that his government is willing to provide humanitarian
aid to the North. In an event marking the anniversary of one of the aid groups
earlier this week, Unification Minister Hyun In-taek insisted that the government
does not connect humanitarian aid to the political situation, saying the North
only needs to "respond to calls for dialogue."
"Despite Hyun's remarks, the humanitarian aid issue has actually been placed in a
political framework," Kang Young-shik from Korean Sharing Movement said.
"We'd like to know if the government truly intends to separate North Korean
assistance from politics," he said. "It's arbitrary and unfair for the government
to say this is okay, that is not" in giving permissions on border trips.
The Seoul government has provided only 1.8 percent, 26.91 billion won (US$20.9
million), of its yearly budget for economic aid to North Korea during the first
four months of the year. Seoul's inter-Korean cooperation fund was set at 1.5
trillion won this year.
The aid workers said tons of cement, as well as farming and medical equipment
worth 2 billion won have been put on hold in the western port of Incheon since
the traffic ban was imposed and that some of it has gone bad. They also said they
are not able to respond to North Koreans who keep sending invitations.
North Korea has grown needier after the U.N. Security Council slapped new
financial and other sanctions over its nuclear test this month, the groups said.
Resolution 1874 bans North Korean weapons sales and pertinent financial
transactions to curb its missile and nuclear activity.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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