North Korea accepts US offer of nutritional food aid

North Korea reportedly accepted Friday a U.S. package of nutritional food aid after rejecting a similar offer from South Korea.

Robert King, the U.S. State Department`s special envoy for human rights issues, and Ri Gun, the North Korean Foreign Ministry`s chief for U.S. affairs, held a second day of meeting in Beijing on Washington`s offer of nutritional assistance. The U.S. offered high-protein biscuits or vitamins for underprivileged people in the North rather than grain that could go to Pyongyang`s military.

A diplomatic source said the bilateral negotiations are focused on monitoring procedures, including how many monitors fluent in Korean will be deployed, rather than on the type or size of the proposed food aid. This suggested that Pyongyang is ready to accept food assistance.

Observers say that if the negotiations go smoothly, Pyongyang and Washington will likely hold a third round of high-level talks next week.

When North Korea suffered severe flood damage in August, South Korea offered to send 5 billion won (4.3 billion U.S. dollars) worth of food, including 1.4 million bottles of baby formula. The aid was never sent, however, after Pyongyang failed to express its position on the offer.

An official at South Korea`s Unification Ministry said the government unsuccessfully attempted to sell via a public auction 540,000 of the first batch of 830,000 bottles of baby formula manufactured at the time. He said the government is mulling sending the baby formula to another country. Of the remaining 290,000 bottles, 190,000 will go to El Salvador and talks are under way to send the rest to another country.

will71@donga.com