Two Koreas show increasing gap in international contributions

South and North Korea are showing a widening gap in their contributions to the international community. In terms of the amounts contributed to the United Nations, Seoul pays 200 times as much as Pyongyang.

According to the Foreign Affairs-Trade Ministry on Thursday, Seoul is set to share 1.8 percent of the total UN budget for the coming three years from 2001 to 2003, whereas Pyongyang is to pay roughly 0.009 percent of the total.

With its deteriorating economic situation, the North's share dropped to 0.009 percent from 0.015 percent or about $158,000 from 1998 to 2000. During the same period, the South accounted for 1.0 percent (some $10.63 million) of all UN expenses, 67 times as much as the North.

The ministry officials said the shares of UN expenses were based on the economic indices of the two countries between 1994 and 1998, adding that the figures symbolize the existing economic realities in each country and their tasks for the future.