The government was found to have a larger excess of funds for inter-Korean cooperation projects than last year, following strained ties with North Korea.

According to the Unification Ministry Wednesday, around five-hundred-50 billion won in government funds was spent on South-North projects as of August.

That only accounts for 45 percent of the one-point-two trillion won total earmarked for spending on inter-Korean cooperation projects this year.

The lack of spending came mainly after the government put off the provision of rice to North Korea in June following the North’s test-firing of missiles. Last year, the government spent around one-hundred-80 billion won on rice and incidental expenses related to the North.

The deadlock in projects to reconnect inter-Korean railways and roads is also a factor that led to less spending of cooperation funds.