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South Korea Pledges Humanitarian Aid for North South Korea Pledges Millions in Aid for North
(about 4 hours later)
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea announced $7.3 million worth of humanitarian aid for North Korea on Sunday, a conciliatory gesture that coincided with a call by the South for “one last round” of talks on restarting a jointly operated industrial complex.SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea announced $7.3 million worth of humanitarian aid for North Korea on Sunday, a conciliatory gesture that coincided with a call by the South for “one last round” of talks on restarting a jointly operated industrial complex.
The majority of the aid — $6 million — will be provided by the South Korean government and shipped through Unicef, the United Nations children’s agency, which provides vaccines, medicine and nutritional supplements for malnourished children and pregnant women in the impoverished North. Five private humanitarian aid groups from South Korea will provide the remainder; they will also send medicine and food for young children.The majority of the aid — $6 million — will be provided by the South Korean government and shipped through Unicef, the United Nations children’s agency, which provides vaccines, medicine and nutritional supplements for malnourished children and pregnant women in the impoverished North. Five private humanitarian aid groups from South Korea will provide the remainder; they will also send medicine and food for young children.
The South Korean minister in charge of policy toward the North, Ryoo Kihl-jae, said the aid shipments were not linked to political issues. But the announcement was contained in a statement in which Mr. Ryoo also called for a final round of talks with the North to settle disputes over the Kaesong industrial complex, which has been closed since early April.The South Korean minister in charge of policy toward the North, Ryoo Kihl-jae, said the aid shipments were not linked to political issues. But the announcement was contained in a statement in which Mr. Ryoo also called for a final round of talks with the North to settle disputes over the Kaesong industrial complex, which has been closed since early April.
There was no immediate response from the North Korean government.There was no immediate response from the North Korean government.
The economy in the North remains in dire shape despite international aid and gradual improvements in the North’s grain production in recent years. More than one-quarter of North Korean children under age 5 suffer from chronic malnourishment, according to surveys by the United Nations and international aid groups. South Korean government statistics showed that the North’s infant mortality rates in recent years were several times higher than those in the South.The economy in the North remains in dire shape despite international aid and gradual improvements in the North’s grain production in recent years. More than one-quarter of North Korean children under age 5 suffer from chronic malnourishment, according to surveys by the United Nations and international aid groups. South Korean government statistics showed that the North’s infant mortality rates in recent years were several times higher than those in the South.
South Korean governmental and private aid for North Korea plunged by more than 95 percent over the last five years. Conservative South Korean governments curtailed aid shipments and trade with North Korea, citing its nuclear weapons development and military provocations, like the sinking of a South Korean warship in 2010, for which the South Korean government blamed the North.South Korean governmental and private aid for North Korea plunged by more than 95 percent over the last five years. Conservative South Korean governments curtailed aid shipments and trade with North Korea, citing its nuclear weapons development and military provocations, like the sinking of a South Korean warship in 2010, for which the South Korean government blamed the North.
The North pulled its 53,000 workers out of the Kaesong industrial complex in April, citing military tensions that it said were caused by joint South Korean-American military exercises.The North pulled its 53,000 workers out of the Kaesong industrial complex in April, citing military tensions that it said were caused by joint South Korean-American military exercises.
The two Koreas held six rounds of talks this month on reopening the factory park without result. Each country has warned the other that the complex, the best-known symbol of inter-Korean economic cooperation, would be shut down permanently unless the other side makes concessions.
“Throughout the six rounds of talks, our government has consistently demanded guarantees from North Korea that it will never again shut the complex down for political and military reasons and that it will allow free business activities there according to international standards,” Mr. Ryoo said. “But the North has refused to make these very basic promises.”
North Korea has insisted that the shutdown was the South’s fault. It has also accused the South of making unreasonable demands as a pretext to terminating the Kaesong project.North Korea has insisted that the shutdown was the South’s fault. It has also accused the South of making unreasonable demands as a pretext to terminating the Kaesong project.
The complex was the last of a group of cross-border projects set up during an earlier period of reconciliation and then halted one by one as relations soured in recent years. It opened in 2004 and produced $470 million worth of goods last year, according to the South Korean government, which provided the figure in dollars.
Supporters of the project see it as a landmark experiment in pairing South Korea’s manufacturing skills with North Korea’s low-cost labor to prepare for the economic integration and eventual reunification of the two Koreas. But critics have argued that it has only funneled badly needed cash to the North Korean government and its nuclear weapons program.