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North Korea on Saturday said through its official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), "The food aid of the U.S. government will help settle the food shortage in (North Korea) to a certain extent and contribute to promoting the understanding and confidence between the peoples of the two countries." This announcement came 12 hours after the U.S. offer of 500,000 tons of food aid to the Stalinist country.
On Sunday, North Korea also reported on the U.S. offer of food aid through North Korea's state-run Korean Central Broadcasting Station, a broadcaster designed for domestic audience, and Radio Pyongyang, a broadcaster designed for overseas audience.
Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University, said, "Such an announcement by North Korean authorities is aimed at achieving multi-purposes, including preventing North Korean residents, who are suffering from food shortage, from growing restless by giving them 'hope' that food will be delivered soon, and letting them know about progress in the improvement of the Pyongyang-Washington ties."
But observers speculate that North Korea is unlikely to request food aid from South Korea first. Quoting South Korean officials who have been to the North recently, a government official said, "If South Korea provides food, North Korea has no reason not to accept it. But North Korea will not likely ask for it first,"
Meanwhile, Seoul has maintained a position that it won't provide the North with food aid unless the communist country makes a request first.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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