The Unification Ministry says it is seeking to have ten-thousand tons of corn aid delivered to North Korea before June.

Ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo made the announcement during a daily briefing Wednesday, saying that the North's food conditions are expected to worsen from March to May.

Lee did not, however, confirm reports that some North Koreans could already be dying from hunger.

Data collected by South Korea shows the North harvested four-point-one million tons of food last year. Seoul says that without outside aid, the impoverished nation could be 500-thousand tons to one million tons short of food this year.