S. Korea approves this year's first private humanitarian aid to N. Korea

Unification Minister Kwon Young-se speaks during a plenary session at the National Assembly, Seoul, April 3. Yonhap

South Korea has approved 240 million won ($183,000) worth of private humanitarian aid deliveries to North Korea, marking this year's first approval of aid to the North, a unification ministry official said Tuesday.

In March, the government gave the green light to a civilian group's application for assistance related to nutritional materials, the official said, without providing other details.

"The government plans to continue to approve the delivery of humanitarian goods to North Korea at the request of the civic groups if they meet all the requirements," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

Seoul approved 5.52 billion won worth of humanitarian aid to Pyongyang last year.

It remains unclear whether the reclusive regime has received the assistance amid pandemic-induced border controls and chilly inter-Korean relations. (Yonhap)