Seoul proposes holding talks with Pyongyang

Posted on : 2008-06-05 12:24 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
S. Korea hopes to provide 50,000 tons of corn under agreement made by former Pres. Roh

Seoul is waiting for a reply from Pyongyang to an offer it made in May to hold working-level talks to discuss the possibility of providing corn assistance.

Although the North has continued to criticize the South, the South Korean government has decided to adhere to a previous agreement to provide 50,000 tons of corn in consideration of the deteriorating food situation in the North this spring, according to Unification Minister Kim Ha-joong. The minister was speaking during the first official ministry briefing on June 4, and added that the South had proposed holding a meeting to discuss the matter at the truce village of Panmunjeon three weeks ago, shortly after the United States decided to provide food aid to North Korea.

“The North has not yet given a clear reply, but we hope that the North will accept our offer as soon as possible,” Minister Kim continued. “If the North doesn’t respond, the South will consider providing assistance through international agencies such as the World Food Program.”

Last year, the government of former President Roh Moo-hyun accepted a North Korean request for 50,000 tons of corn. The government subsequently had to postpone the corn shipment because of a hike in international grain prices and difficulty with securing that amount of grain. The request had still not been fulfilled since the inauguration of President Lee Myung-bak in February.

Even now, the government is not a leading player in making the first substantial proposal to hold inter-Korean talks on food assistance since the launch of the government of President Lee Myung-bak. Seoul’s decision appears to be driven more by outside circumstances, such as the current state of inter-Korean relations and progress in relations between North Korea and the United States.

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