Unification Minister Hyun In-taek says the government will provide humanitarian aid at the minimum level to North Korea despite strained inter-Korean relations.

During parliamentary inquiries into his ministry on Friday, Hyun said that he was aware of the severity of the food shortage in the North and that his ministry is considering providing up to 50-thousand tons of corn in assistance.

Pyongyang made an official request for aid during inter-Korean Red Cross talks last week in the North Korean border city of Gaeseong.

Meanwhile, the Unification Ministry said it will discuss a request made by the World Food Program for a seven-and-a-half-million-dollar donation for emergency food aid projects in the communist country.