The head of the United Nations food agency has asked Seoul to donate more
food to North Korea to ease chronic shortages in the impoverished state.

World Food Program (WFP) chief James Morris made the request when he met with Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon in Seoul Thursday. He also sought donations for Afghanistan and Iraq.

Morris arrived in Seoul Thursday for a three-day visit to raise funds in a bid to help relieve North Korea's food shortage. He is scheduled to meet Vice Unification Minister Rhee Bhong-jo on Friday.

The WFP, the world's largest humanitarian agency, relies on donor contributions to help alleviate the plight of more than 800 million hungry people around the world.

In 2003, the Rome-based agency raised 2.6 billion dollars. South Korea donated 70 million dollars to the fund and was Asia's second-biggest donor after Japan, which provided 129 million dollars.