The provision of telecommunication equipment for North Korea is being delayed due to differences of opinion in the ruling camp.

The Unification Ministry in Seoul wants to supply 600 million won worth of telecommunication equipment, including fiber-optic cables and fax machines, to the North within the week. But the presidential office insists Seoul should contact Pyongyang before sending the aid.

In the inter-Korean working level military talks last year, South Korea agreed to provide the equipment to the North to facilitate communications between the two sides.

The two Koreas have communicated through fax machines in the past for operations in the Gaeseong Industrial Complex as well as South Koreans’ tours to the North Korean city, but communication has recently been suspended due to worn-out fax machines on the North’s side.