The South Korean government's decision on whether to continue its energy assistance to North Korea depends on how Pyongyang deals with its nuclear disablement process.

An official at the Ministry of Unification said Wednesday that Seoul will make the decision by mid-October, when the production of steel pipes it agreed to deliver to Pyongyang is completed.

South Korea promised to provide the North with materials worth 155-thousand tons of heavy oil in return for its nuclear disablement.

Seoul has so far delivered construction materials equivalent to 144-thousand tons of heavy oil to the North, and is preparing to send three-thousand tons of steel pipes, which would finalize the amount of aid promised to the North.

Under the six-party agreement in July, Seoul planned to deliver the steel pipes to Pyongyang by the end of October.