North Korea has asked South Korea for more rice aid to relieve the serious food shortage in the communist country.

Kim Cheon-sik, spokesman for the Seoul delegation to the 15th inter-Korean ministerial talks, told a news briefing Wednesday that during the main session, the North described its critical food shortage and asked for continued aid.

Pyongyang also thanked Seoul for its previous assistance.

Kim hinted at a request for some 400,000 tons of rice, the average amount provided to the North over the past few years.