hankyoreh

On Monday, the South Korean government proposed to send 10,000 tons of corn aid to North Korea through the South Korean Red Cross. The Red Cross will formally be distributing the aid, but because the cost will be supported by the Unification Ministry’s fund for inter-Korean cooperation, the aid essentially comes from the South Korean government. South Korean government officials believe it is likely that North Korea will accept the proposal.

South Korea’s National Red Cross President Yoo Chong-ha sent a telephone notification to North Korean Red Cross Central Committee Chairman Jang Jae-on in which he stated that the group would provide 10,000 tons of corn and 20 tons of powdered milk and medical supplies for infants and pregnant women. The South Korean Red Cross said it plans to manage the logistics to deliver the aid through liaison offices in Panmunjom. The offer is in response to an official North Korean request for humanitarian aid made during inter-Korean Red Cross working-level meeting on Oct. 16.

If the North Korean government accepts the offer, the South Korean government plans to take the roughly 4 billion Won needed to put together and immediately transport the 10,000 tons of corn from the inter-Korean cooperation fund. The Red Cross will independently put together the 20 tons of powdered milk, which is estimated to cost 150 million Won, and medical supplies without support from the fund. Unification Ministry Spokesman Chun Hae-sung said the corn would be imported from foreign growers, and judging from past precedent, it will likely take an estimated 30 to 40 days to arrive.

Analysts say this offer by South Korea is an expression of sincerity in exchange for support from North Korea on additional family reunions, which were brought up by South Korea during the most recent Red Cross meetings. Chun, however, says the aid is purely for humanitarian purposes and does not come with conditions attached.

In May of last year, the offer by the South Korean government to send some 50,000 tons of government corn aid predicated on a prior inter-Korean agreement was rejected. During the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations, the South Korean government sent some 400,000 tons of rice in food aid to North Korea annually. A Lee administration official says, “Because this is private aid and not government aid, we think North Korea will accept the offer, and thus open up possibilities in inter-Korean relations.”

On another register, some have also voiced the opinion that given the aid’s comparatively small size to past amounts of aid packages sent, it could be seen as payment for the Chuseok family reunion held in late September rather than an incentive for additional reunions. In this case, even if the North Korean government accepts the proposal, it could demand separate acts of good faith for additional family reunions to take place.

If North Korea accepts the proposal, South Korea plans to immediately propose working-level Red Cross talks to discuss the regularization of family reunions and a solution to prisoner of war and abductee issues, and regularization of family unions, which analysts say could open up exchange on the issue of large-scale aid to North Korea. However, there are many who believe that the Lee administration’s decision to send large-scale aid to North Korea is still predicated on tangible results on the North Korea nuclear issue and return to six-party talks.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]