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An image of workers sanitizing a facility in Pyongyang, North Korea, published by the Rodong Sinmun on Feb. 29. (Yonhap News)

A private South Korean group is providing 100 million won (US$81,122) worth of hand sanitizer to North Korea. The project is the first South Korean support effort to North Korea this year, as well as the first example of cooperation on disease prevention at either the government or private level since the novel coronavirus outbreak began.

Meeting with reporters on Apr. 2, a Ministry of Unification senior official said, “Transport approval [for aid items to North Korea] was granted on Mar. 31 to one group that met the conditions [for providing aid to the North].”

“The support items are 100 million won worth of hand sanitizer,” the official explained, adding that the “funding was provided independently by the group.” This means that it was not paid for from the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund, which is a government budget. The five “conditions” for providing aid to the North are specified by law and include the consent of North Korea and measures to ensure transparency in distribution.

The same official said they could “not comment in detail on the group’s name, the transport channel, or the timeline because the group implementing the project has requested confidentiality to ensure its unhindered pursuit.”

The government official hinted that more private aid to the North may be forthcoming.

“There are a few other groups that are preparing to meet the conditions [for providing aid],” the official said. The next question is whether cooperation on disease prevention at the non-governmental level may lead to public health and medical cooperation among authorities, including collaboration on coronavirus prevention.

By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer

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