Seoul to lend 700,000 tons of rice to Pyongyang

In response to North Korea`s request for the provision of one million tons of rice at the second round of the inter-Korean ministerial talks in Pyongyang in late August, the government plans to send around 600,000-700,000 tons of rice to the North, it revealed on September 9. And with a view to giving as much grain as possible at a minimal expense, the

government is planning to import rice from Thailand and corn from China, which are cheaper than domestic Korean products.

Related government officials also disclosed that the government plan is to give food aid to Pyongyang at a lower cost than was needed to provide the 150,000 tons of rice worth about 185 billion won that was sent to the North in 1995. To this end, the Ministryt of Foreign Affairs and Trade has contacted Thai authorities regarding the rice imports. They said that the government plans to conclude a convention with the North Korean side concerning terms of

repayment for the food loan and that the rice aid will be sent as soon as this is completed.

In this connection, Unification Minister Park Jae-Kyu made a series of visits in the day to ruling Millennium Democratic Party chairman Suh Young-Hoon, main opposition Grand National Party leader Lee Hoi-Chang and splinter United Liberal Democrats acting president Kim Chong-Hoh to explain the government`s grain aid program. At their meetings, Minister Park

disclosed that at the second ministerial talks in Pyongyang, the North Korean side formerly asked for food aid, including Thai rice, amounting to one million tons in the form of a loan. Meanwhile, the minister said that further rounds of the family-reunion program will take place from the middle of October through November.