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Seoul says it will send 400,000 tons of rice to Pyongyang even if North Korea does not shut down its nuclear facilities in Yongbyon by April 1, the deadline stipulated in the Feb. 13 six-nation agreement. Implementation of the agreement hit a snag because North Korea has yet to receive some US$25 million that had been frozen in a Macau bank.
Vice Unification Minister Shin Un-sang told reporters that the Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation Committee will decide to ship the rice to the North at a meeting on April 18 as scheduled in a bid to ensure stability on the Korean Peninsula and preserve the hard-earned momentum for improving inter-Korean relations. ¡°This is the government¡¯s official position,¡± the vice minister said. A Unification Ministry official said although the delayed transfer of the North¡¯s assets with the Macau-based Banco Delta Asia has impeded implementation of the agreement, North Korea is not alone to blame, and there are no reasons to slow down improvement in inter-Korean relations.
However, shortly after inter-Korean ministerial talks, Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung on March 6 told the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs and unification that the South¡¯s rice aid to the North will be delayed if Pyongyang fails to honor the Feb. 13 agreement. Lee said implementation of the agreement is ¡°the premise for any aid to North Korea, as noted in a joint statement in the inter-Korean talks. The North asked for 300,000 tons of fertilizer and 400,000 tons of rice at the meeting. While the South Korean government effectively accepted the request, it drew accusations of making an under-the-table deal when it failed to announce this officially. Observers feel Thursday¡¯s statement confirms their suspicions.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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