South Korea to send rice, cement to North after flooding (Roundup)

Sep 13, 2010, 13:29 GMT

Seoul - South Korea's Red Cross said Monday that it would fulfil North Korea's request to send it rice and cement to recover from flooding as Red Cross officials from both nations prepared to meet this week on resuming reunions of families separated by the Korean War.

In its aid request, North Korea had also asked for construction equipment, but Yoo Chong Ha, the South's Red Cross chief, said it would not be sent because the government in Seoul must review such a request, which is considered sensitive.

Yoo said 5,000 tons of rice and 10,000 tons of cement worth 10 billion won (8.6 million dollars) would be dispatched.

It is to be sent to an area along the Chinese border, where flooding in late August forced the evacuations of thousands of people, according to North Korean state media.

Yoo also suggested to the North Korean Red Cross that they hold talks Friday in the North Korean border town of Kaesong on resuming the family reunions, the latest round of which took place a year ago.

The Red Cross in the communist North made a surprise proposal at the weekend that the talks resume. In another surprise, it replied to Yoo's suggestion the same day, agreeing to it, the Unification Ministry in Seoul said.

It also said it would accept the aid, the ministry said.

A delivery date had yet to be set.

The proposal was a conciliatory step by the North after months of escalating tensions. Last week, North Korea also released a South Korean fishing boat and its crew after seizing it when, Pyongyang said, it strayed into its waters.

Relations between Seoul and Pyongyang have been poor since the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, which killed 46 sailors. Seoul blamed Pyongyang for the sinking, but it denied involvement, and at the end of May, North Korea broke off ties with its neighbour.