Rep. of Korea: Gov't ties rice aid to nuke issue

The government and the ruling party are hesitant to providing rice aid to North Korea before the nuclear issue is resolved, a government official said on Tuesday (May 6).

"Providing 500,000 tons of rice aid to North Korea requires further discussion and procedures," said Cho Kun-shik, vice minister of Unification Ministry, during the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP)'s special committee meeting to resolve the North Korea nuclear issue at the National Assembly.

Chung Sye-kyun, MDP's chief policymaker, agreed to address the matter in the inter-Korean economic cooperation committee meeting May 19-22 in Pyongyang and to raise the matter during the next inter-Korean ministerial talks.

Cho added that rice aid to North will also be discussed in parliament.

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kim Jae-sup and other ruling party members, including Rep. Chough Soon-hyung, were also present at the meeting.

The government plans to send 200,000 tons of fertilizer to the North as promised, regardless of the North's standoff with United States.

"Even if the rice is send to the North, there will be government level inspections to check if North Korean civilians are receiving them probably," the source added.

At the 10th inter-Korean ministerial talks, Pyongyang asked Seoul to provide rice and fertilizer aid, but the government has only promised to send fertilizer.

The government and the ruling party had previously said humanitarian aid such as rice would be provided to the North Korea despite the nuclear crisis.

But the source explained that it was government policy to hold on to the rice aid for a while until the issue is resolved. "It is because the South Korea's role in the multilateral talks with North to solve the nuke issues is yet unclear, hence the issue requires further discussion."

Chung heads a special MDP committee that deals with the North Korean nuclear issue.

The meeting, held yesterday, discussed ways to seek a bigger role for the government in resolving the issue, according to a party member.

The MDP member, who had been present at the meeting, said some government officials and party members are skeptical of giving aid to the North, as South Korea was not involved in the multilateral talks.

South Korea's Red Cross Society will be responsible for the shipment of fertilizer worth 65 billion won ($53.58 million), with the first delivery to be made late this month.

300,000 tons of fertilizer was also provided to North last year.