N. Korea shows 'negative response' to WFP about Seoul's rice aid: Unification Ministry

통일부 "北, WFP에 南쌀지원 부정적 입장 표명... 한미훈련이 이유"The South Korean government and the WFP have been working to provide 50-thousand tons of rice aid to North Korea by September.But the plan could face difficulties.The North recently expressed what's being reported as a "negative view" of the plan, citing Seoul's upcoming joint military exercise with Washington.Oh Jung-hee files us this report from Seoul's unification ministry.North Korea might be planning to reject rice aid from South Korea, blaming an upcoming Seoul-Washington joint military exercise.On Wednesday, South Korea's Unification Ministry said... it learned through the WFP... that the North showed a (quote)"negative response" about receiving 50-thousand tons of rice from South Korea.Pyeongyang cited the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise scheduled to take place next month."We learned recently through consultations between the WFP and North Korea that there are such views in the North. The government is currently trying to figure out the North's official stance through the WFP."Seoul doesn't see this as Pyeongyang's official stance.The view was only expressed at a working-level meeting, not delivered via an official channel."It is not approriate for us to prejudge what going to happen and to tell you what we'd do if the North clearly rejects the aid. But the government hopes the food aid can be made on a humantarian and fraternal basis to resolve the difficulties North Koreans face."In light of the North's worst food crisis in 10 years, Seoul had planned to provide 50-thousand tons of rice to the regime by September this year... and hoped to make the first shipment this month.Negotiations had been underway between the WFP and the U.S. on the exemptions that'll be needed in terms of sanctions,... and the WFP had started accepting bids from companies to carry out the delivery.It was the first rice aid to be sent from the South to the North in 9 years."The North has denounced Seoul and Washington for scheduling a joint military exercise... and has shown no signs of holding working-level denuclearization talks with the U.S. Now with Seoul's food aid on the verge of being cancelled, Seoul says the atmosphere on the Korean Peninsula seems to have stiffened... but it still hopes to send the cross-border aid as soon as possible. Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News."