Seoul's first batch of relief goods for victims of last week's train explosion in North Korea is heading for the communist state.

A South Korean freighter carrying relief and medical supplies worth one million U.S. dollars departed from the western port city of Incheon at noon Wednesday. The ship is scheduled to arrive in the North's Nampo port Thursday, where the relief materials will be transported overland to Ryongchon later in the day.

The shipment includes 3,000 sets of emergency relief goods, bottled drinking water and blankets.

The shipment comes after the North rejected a South Korean offer to make an overland delivery of relief items across the heavily fortified border between the Koreas.