Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Friday, February 10, 2006
Ministry hit for playing politics with fertilizer
February 10, 2006 ㅡ
North Korea has asked for 450,000 tons of fertilizer from South Korea, the Ministry of Unification said yesterday.
The ministry said North Korea’s Red Cross asked for the donation in a phone call to its South Korean counterpart on Feb. 1. Pyongyang said it wanted 150,000 tons of fertilizer to be shipped beginning late this month and an additional 300,000 tons later in the year.
The Unification Ministry drew some flak for withholding the news of the request. Critics suggested that it did not want Lee Jong-seok, the unification minister-designate, to face questions about the request in his recent appearance before the National Assembly, where there is significant opposition to Seoul’s policy of giving Pyongyang large amounts of unreciprocated aid.
The fertilizer would cost Seoul about 180 billion won ($185 million), including shipping costs. Last year, Seoul gave 350,000 tons of fertilizer and half a million tons of rice to its impoverished neighbor.
The ministry said it would send the initial shipment for humanitarian reasons, and would decide on further shipments after asking North Korea again to return Seoul’s prisoners of war and kidnapped civilians believed to be there.
(END)
02-10-2006, 07:54 AM
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