The European Union (E.U.) also appears to be preparing to send food aid to North Korea, as the U.S. prepares to send a food shortage assessment team to the isolated nation.

A senior official at the South Korean Foreign Ministry said that the E.U. is considering sending an independent team to determine the necessity of food aid in North Korea.

The official said that if that group is dispatched, it will be after the EU reviews the results of the U.S. assessment team, which will likely be in the week beginning May 23rd.

Prior to that, Russia reportedly decided to send some 50-thousand tons of grains to North Korea in the near future on humanitarian grounds.