Seoul to resume minimum humanitarian aid to N. Korea: minister

By Tony Chang
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to limitedly resume humanitarian aid
to North Korea in the near future, Seoul's point man on the North said Friday.
"I'm aware that the North is going through a food shortage. A minimum amount of
humanitarian aid will be initiated in the near future," Unification Minister Hyun
In-taek told lawmakers during the parliamentary audit of his ministry's affairs.
The minister, however, did not elaborate on the "minimum level" of aid for the
North, though some ministry sources said that the provision of less than 50,000
tons of corn will be under consideration.
Last week, North Korea made a request for humanitarian aid during Red Cross talks
over cross-border family reunions, its first official call for aid since South
Korean President Lee Myung-bak took office last year.
When political relations thrived with liberal governments in Seoul, the South
customarily sent hundreds of thousands of tons of rice and fertilizer annually to
the North around reunions for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. But
massive aid came to a halt after the conservative Lee took power, with his policy
priority on the termination of the North's nuclear program.
During the Red Cross talks, Pyongyang did not specify what kind of humanitarian
aid it wants from the South, which responded that it would review the request.
Earlier this week, government sources also said that Seoul was considering
donating funds worth a maximum of 1 billion won (US$850,000) to several health
and medical aid projects for the North operated by local non-governmental
organizations.
Regarding a decision to resume large-scale food donations, Hyun, however, said
that the decision will be made "after considering the North's food shortage
conditions, inter-Korean relations and public sentiment."
In an audit report filed to the National Assembly, the Unification Ministry said
that "it will positively consider" a request from the World Food Program last
month for Seoul to donate some $7.5 million towards the organization's emergency
aid program to North Korea.
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)