Parties Agree on Food Aid

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Parties Agree on Food Aid

In a show of political unity not often seen, the ruling and the opposition parties called Thursday for more food aid for North Korea.

"We will urge the government to provide 290,000 metric tons of rice to North Korea on a humanitarian basis and also to address the growing inventory of rice in the nation," Representative Kim Mahn-je, the chief policymaker for the opposition Grand National Party, said.

"We are aware the North requested food aid at the recent inter-Korean ministerial talks," Mr. Kim said. "And we decided at the party meeting Thursday that, with the promise that the rice will not be diverted for military use, we will provide it on a long-term basis."

"We welcome the Grand National Party's change of position on food aid to North Korea," Jeon Yong-hak, chairman of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party, said.

"There were three ways to provide rice to the North: unconditionally, as a loan or as part of a barter or trade agreement," Representative Kang Un-tae, the ruling party's number two policymaker, said. "We have asked the government to discuss the specific method of provision with the North and we expect the two Koreas to discuss the provision of rice more in depth in October."

The opposition, which has pushed recently for National Assembly approval of any aid to the North, eased its hardline stance a bit Wednesday during a meeting between Unification Minister Hong Song-young and Lee Hoi-chang, the opposition leader. Mr. Hong reported the Pyongyang's request for help to Mr. Lee, citing the North's acute food shortage.

The opposition leader said that if the aid is of a purely humanitarian nature "it is desirable that we help them."

Mr. Kim of the Grand National Party backed his party's agreement with the proposal with an economic argument:

"The cost of shipping the 290,000 metric tons of rice to the North should turn out to be less than the estimated 50 billion won it would cost the country to maintain it as inventory."



by Lee Soo-ho

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