The government is set to approve funding to send rice and raw materials for light industry to North Korea.

The Unification Ministry said that an inter-Korean committee on exchanges and cooperation would meet Tuesday to discuss funding for the 400-thousand ton rice shipment and the provision of raw materials.

At last month’s committee meeting, South Korea agreed to provide the North with rice on loan at the end of May. They also agreed that the inter-Korean accord on light industry and underground resource cooperation would go into effect following this Thursday's test runs of cross-border railways.

Although Pyongyang has not yet taken initial steps to implement the February 13th six-party nuclear agreement, Seoul has decided to approve the funds now given the time necessary to purchase and package the rice.