The South Korean Unification Ministry on Sunday denounced Jay Lefkowitz, U.S. President George W. Bush's special envoy for human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), over intervening in Seoul's internal affairs including humanitarian aid to Pyongyang.

"Lefkowitz seems to be trying to put a brake on the mood of inter-Korean reconciliation," an official of the ministry told Yonhap on condition of anonymity.

"While speaking on human rights, he just turned a blind eye to the difficult situation the people (of the DPRK) are now facing. It is an inhumane and anti-human rights attitude," the official said.

Lefkowitz said in his contribution to the Wall Street Journal recently that humanitarian assistance to the DPRK should be avoided without a guarantee of transparency in its distribution.

Lefkowitz said earlier that some governments may actually worsen matters and unwittingly help prop up the regime by channeling large amounts of unmonitored aid to the DPRK.

Source: Xinhua