A South Korean vessel carrying the first batch of heavy fuel oil to North Korea left the southeastern port of Ulsan on Thursday at noon.

Dock workers on Wednesday began loading the 67-hundred ton Hanchang Nine with 62-hundred tons of heavy fuel. The installment is the first of 50-thousand tons to be provided by South Korea under the six-party agreement reached in February.

Assuming fair weather, the ship will travel 36 hours on the East Sea before reaching North Korea's Seonbong port on Saturday. As unloading will take two days, the vessel is slated to return to the South on Monday or Tuesday.

A total of five shipments will continue until August first as the two Koreas agreed to complete the entire delivery within 20 days of the first shipment.