June 05, 2019 12:04
South Korean NGOs gave North Korea a whopping W5.72 billion worth of food aid between 2018 and April of this year -- W2.2 billion in 2018 and W3.5 billion in the first four months of this year alone (US$1=W1,184).
That is more than the US$4.5 million in food aid the South Korean government has pledged through international aid agencies.
According to data the Unification Ministry submitted to the National Assembly, NGOs supplied flour, corn, powdered milk, cooking oil and bread to the North on 12 occasions. The flour and grain supplies totaled 12,000 tons worth W4.4 billion.
The government wants to funnel its own food aid through international aid agencies, though North Korea has sneered at the offer and it is doubtful whether it is really suffering a severe food shortage.
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