The opposition Grand National Party has blasted the government for agreeing to send rice aid to North Korea even though it has not begun to shut down its nuclear facilities.

GNP Chairman Kang Jae-sup said that the government has opened itself to criticism because it failed to attach conditions when it pledged the aid to the North during inter-Korean economic talks in Pyongyang last week.

The party's policy committee head Jeon Jae-hee also said that the South should not hurry to offer rice aid at the risk of disrupting international cooperation to persuade Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear programs.

The North missed a deadline for shutting down its nuclear reactors under the six-way denuclearization agreement reached February 13th in Beijing, citing delays in the transfer of its assets at a Macao bank.

[Photo : ]