Seoul to offer $8mn aid to North Korea

Seoul: South Korea on Thursday decided to offer $8 million of humanitarian aid to North Korea through UN organisations.

The inter-Korean exchange and cooperation committee was chaired by Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon to approve the aid`s provision to the projects of the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN International Children`s Emergency Fund (Unicef) for infants and pregnant women in North Korea, reports Xinhua news agency.

Among the total, $4.5 million would be given to the WFP, while the remaining $3.5 million was allotted to the Unicef.

It was in line with the government`s basic stance that its humanitarian aid to Pyongyang would be treated separately from political situations.

The Unification Ministry, however, said that the actual provision of the funds would be implemented after considering overall situation including the inter-Korean relations.

The implementation of the aid was expected to be delayed as tensions ran high on the Korean Peninsula after Pyongyang`s continuous nuclear and missile provocations.

On September 3, Pyongyang detonated its sixth nuclear device, seen as the most powerful ever conducted by the Asian country.

The approval for the aid marked the first time since President Moon Jae-in`s government took over in May. The previous government suspended humanitarian aid following Pyongyang`s fourth nuclear test last January.