Urging North Korea to attend an inter-governmental meeting, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said on Friday that the government is willing to and capable of providing humanitarian assistance to the North in a spirit of goodwill.

At a press conference following a briefing at Chong Wa Dae, Chung hinted at the possibility of providing the North with agricultural assistance, including seeds and farming equipment, on the condition that Pyongyang comes to the negotiation table for the meeting.

The North was reported to have chosen the agricultural sector as a key business of this year.

The government is reportedly in consultations with international bodies that can assist the North in the areas of disease-control and pregnant and nursing women, and relevant agencies will likely visit Seoul soon.

Chung stressed there needs to be further inter-governmental discussion on the fertilizer and agricultural assistance if the North actually shows up to the meeting.