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The two Koreas on Saturday agreed to reschedule the inter-Korean summit slated for late August in Pyongyang to Oct. 2-4 after North Korea requested a delay because of its extensive flood damage, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il had planned to meet in the North's capital Aug. 28-30 at a second summit meeting to discuss denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and inter-Korean economic cooperation.

On Saturday morning, North Korea asked South Korea to postpone the inter-Korean summit until early October, citing severe flood damage sustained by the North's capital, key industrial facilities and crops, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Cheon Ho-seon.

South Korea accepted the North's request and proposed holding the summit Oct. 2-4 in the North Korean capital, Cheon said. In a prompt reply, the North announced its agreement to the South's proposal, he said.

"North Korea sent a telephone message to the chief of the National Intelligence Service, Kim Man-bok, this morning, saying that it is forced to put off President Roh Moo-hyun's visit to Pyongyang from late August until early October, due to the urgent task of flood recovery," said Cheon in a media briefing.

"Instead, the North left the decision on the specific date for the rescheduled summit up to the South. The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae held an emergency meeting Saturday afternoon and proposed rescheduling the summit to Oct. 2-4," Cheon said.

In the message, said Cheon, North Korea said it has endeavored to make President Roh's coming visit to Pyongyang a success but is now faced with a more urgent task, that of recovering from flood damage and stabilizing the people's livelihood.

"The North said its attitude towards the inter-Korean summit, as well as the previous inter-Korean agreements on summit procedures and protocol, would remain unchanged," said Cheon.

The North's state media said Friday that about 46,580 homes of 88,400 families had been flooded or destroyed, while more than 300,000 people were displaced. North Korean officials also told international aid agencies that over 220 people were dead or missing and 11 percent of the grain harvest -- equivalent to 450,000 tons -- was lost. About 400 commercial plants were flooded and landslides cut railways in 43 places while some 300 mine shafts had collapsed, they said.

Over the past days, South Korea, the United States and international agencies have offered help to North Korea after receiving reports of the devastating floods.

"The South Korean government will try to send its aid shipments to the North as soon as possible. It will also seek ways, together with the National Assembly, Red Cross, civic organizations and international aid agencies, to extend further assistance to the North," said Cheon.

Seoul's Unification Ministry said Friday the South Korean government will send 7.1 billion won ($7.5 million) worth of emergency aid to North Korea next week to help the communist country recover from the damage caused by recent heavy rains.

The ministry said that South Korea will also discuss ways of sending equipment and additional aid needed to overcome the damage in the North after transporting the emergency aid via inter-Korean sea and land routes.

North Korea allowed the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to send four assessment teams Friday to areas hit by flooding. SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap News)