Ministry of Unification "Reconsidering Timing for 12 Billion Won Food Aid to North Korea"

Projects Suspended Due to Kim Yo-jong's Criticism of South Korea

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Unification announced on the 30th that it is reconsidering the timing of providing approximately 10 million USD (about 11.96 billion KRW) in aid to North Korea through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) this year. The government had planned to provide aid in June, but postponed it due to the rapid deterioration of inter-Korean relations.

On the same day, a Ministry of Unification official told reporters, "After a video meeting earlier this month between the Minister of Unification and the WFP Executive Director, we intended to proceed with aid for WFP’s support projects for North Korean infants and women, but the next day, a statement from Kim Yo-jong, the First Deputy Director of the North Korean Workers' Party, led us to suspend the aid process."

The official explained, "Regarding this project, we are currently reviewing the timing of implementation while considering the overall situation of inter-Korean relations."

Seo Ho, Deputy Minister of Unification, stated at the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary session the previous day, "At the end of last month, we were in the process of approval through the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Promotion Council (Gyochu-hyeop) to provide 10 million USD to the WFP."

Previously, former Minister of Unification Kim Yeon-chul held a video meeting with David Beasley, WFP Executive Director, on the 3rd to discuss the provision of aid projects to North Korea.

However, the next day, Kim Yo-jong, First Deputy Director of the North Korean Workers' Party, issued a statement declaring the severance of inter-Korean relations, citing the distribution of leaflets to North Korea by defectors’ groups as a problem. As inter-Korean relations escalated into a strong confrontation, the food aid project appears to have lost momentum.

According to the Ministry of Unification, WFP’s nutrition projects for North Korean infants and mothers began in 2014 (7 million USD), continued in 2015 (2.1 million USD), and last year (4.5 million USD), spanning a total of three years with a total aid amount of 13.6 million USD during this period.

Meanwhile, when asked about the government’s stance on the fact that it has been one year since the surprise meeting of the South Korean, North Korean, and U.S. leaders at Panmunjom, yet inter-Korean relations remain deadlocked, the official responded, "The government hopes that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and lasting peace will be established as soon as possible."