Two Koreas hold talks on aid following floods in North Korea

SEOUL, Aug 19, 2006 (AFP)

Officials from North and South Korea opened weekend talks on aid following severe floods in the North despite lingering tensions over Pyongyang's missile tests last month.

Red Cross officials from both two sides met at North Korea's scenic Mount Kumgang near the eastern coast to discuss details of the South's emergency relief for the North, a spokesman from Seoul's Unification Ministry said.

North Korea has asked for food and relief materials it needs urgently for rehabilitation, such as construction materials as well as blankets and medicines.

South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jong-Seok said Friday that last month's floods must have deprived North Korea of at least 100,000 tonnes of grain harvest, increasing this year's shortfalls to at least 1.66 million tonnes.

It is widely expected here that South Korea will pledge rice aid of 100,000 tonnes to make up for the lost production.

Seoul has already provided some 10 million dollars to civic groups here to help them buy aid such as rice, flour, medicine and construction equipment to be sent to the North.

In response to the impoverished state's missile tests last month, South Korea has put off indefinitely a promised shipment of 100,000 tonnes of fertilizer and 500,000 tonnes of rice aid.

The unification minister said aside from flood-related aid, the regular large-scale fertilizer and rice aid would not be resumed unless the missile issue is resolved.

North Korea, which suffered a devastating famine in the 1990s, has relied for the past decade on outside help to feed its 23 million people. South Korea has been the biggest donor since the start of its "sunshine" policy of engagement with the North.