The South Korean government has resumed aid to North Korea through civic groups for the first time in five years.
 
The Unification Ministry decided to spend 80 million won from the inter-Korean cooperation fund to support a civic group’s aid program and approved the group’s shipment of medical supplies late last month.
 
In August last year, the ministry earmarked three billion won from the cooperation fund to support 13 local civic groups’ 17 aid programs in the areas of health, agriculture and livestock. The latest shipment marks the first of such aid.
 
The ministry also expressed a positive stance regarding aid of small amounts of fertilizer by civic groups. A ministry official said two groups have sought the government’s approval for their plans to send fertilizer to North Korea to offer supplies for greenhouses and farming in the North.

The official said while the Seoul government will approve the provision of small amounts of fertilizer for creating greenhouses, it will not consider sending a massive amount of fertilizer aid.

The government has effectively banned fertilizer aid to the North since May 2010 when it slapped sanctions on the North following the sinking of the South Korean warship, the Cheonan.