hankyoreh

Trucks loaded with 180 tons of flour head to the inter-Korean transit office in the border city of Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Jan. 27.

A South Korean charity group on Friday delivered the first flour aid to North Korea since the death of the North's former leader Kim Jong-il. The Seoul-based Korea Peace Foundation delivered 180 tons of flour, with eight foundation representatives traveling to the North's border city of Kaesong.

Two of the eight representatives will stay until Saturday to ensure the aid package reaches its targeted group, foundation officials said. Flour is to be delivered to an elementary school, a daycare center and a kindergarten in North Hwanghae Province near the Kaesong Industrial complex, officials added.

“We're expecting this flour aid to provide some breakthrough for inter-Korean dialogue,” an official said.

While the foundation was carrying flour into the North, the government said Seoul’s aid to Pyongyang fell by more than 50 percent last year. According to the Unification Ministry, the South’s humanitarian aid to the North amounted to 19.6 billion won ($17.5 million) in 2011, down 51.5 percent from 40.4 billion won in 2010. The total inter-Korean trade fell by more than 10 percent to 1.71 billion won in 2011, the ministry added.

(Yonhap News)