S. Korea to ship rice to DPRK for humanitarian relief

South Korean government said Sunday that 100,000 tons of rice and other emergency relief goods will soon be shipped to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to help victims of July's floods.

"The government's decision was made based on pure humanitarian considerations of flood damages in the North and calls from (South Korea's) civic organizations and political circles" to help the DPRK, Vice Unification Minister Shin Un-sang said.

It would be first time for the South Korean government to send assistance to the DPRK after Seoul decided to suspend its humanitarian aid for Pyongyang in early July as DPRK launched missiles despite Seoul's strong opposition.

"As the government has said before, the aid package this time is emergency relief aid that comes strictly from humanitarian considerations," Shin said.

According to Shin, the government would send 100,000 tons of rice worth about 195 billion won (203 million U.S. dollars) as well as construction supplies and equipment, including 100,000 tons of cement, 5,000 tons of steel and 100 trucks, to DPRK.

An early report by the Chosun Sinbo, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper published in Tokyo, said heavy floods left 800 people dead or missing, 3,000 injured in DPRK in mid-July.

Source: Xinhua