S. Korea: No new food aid to North
Source: Agencies |
August 24, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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SOUTH Korea has no intention of resuming its food aid to North Korea, an official said yesterday, a day after the ruling party chief questioned whether the assistance should restart because of recent flooding in North Korea.
For a decade, South Korea was a major donor of food to the North, before President Lee Myung-bak's conservative government halted unconditional assistance after taking office in early 2008.
Lee's government also cut nearly all trade with North Korea after tension spiked over March's deadly sinking of a South Korean warship blamed on Pyongyang. North Korea has flatly denied any involvement.
North Korea has relied on outside food aid to help feed much of its 24 million people. Its food shortage was feared to worsen after flooding from an overflowing river over the weekend swamped farmland, houses and public buildings in the northwestern city of Sinuiju.
On Sunday night, ruling Grand National Party chief Ahn Sang-soo asked the government whether Seoul should resume its food aid to North Korea, citing the latest flooding during a regular meeting with government and presidential officials.
Government representatives who took part in the meeting responded they would review the matter, according to a GNP statement.
But the Unification Ministry - which handles relations with North Korea - said Monday it has no immediate plans to resume food aid to North Korea.
"Currently, the government is not considering the issue of resuming rice aid to North Korea," ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung told reporters.
Chun said South Korea's position on assistance to North Korea remains the same, though he said he would not comment on the GNP statement.
For a decade, South Korea was a major donor of food to the North, before President Lee Myung-bak's conservative government halted unconditional assistance after taking office in early 2008.
Lee's government also cut nearly all trade with North Korea after tension spiked over March's deadly sinking of a South Korean warship blamed on Pyongyang. North Korea has flatly denied any involvement.
North Korea has relied on outside food aid to help feed much of its 24 million people. Its food shortage was feared to worsen after flooding from an overflowing river over the weekend swamped farmland, houses and public buildings in the northwestern city of Sinuiju.
On Sunday night, ruling Grand National Party chief Ahn Sang-soo asked the government whether Seoul should resume its food aid to North Korea, citing the latest flooding during a regular meeting with government and presidential officials.
Government representatives who took part in the meeting responded they would review the matter, according to a GNP statement.
But the Unification Ministry - which handles relations with North Korea - said Monday it has no immediate plans to resume food aid to North Korea.
"Currently, the government is not considering the issue of resuming rice aid to North Korea," ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung told reporters.
Chun said South Korea's position on assistance to North Korea remains the same, though he said he would not comment on the GNP statement.
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