S Korea to provide USD 8 mn aid to North amid worst harvest in decades

South Korea has vowed to move quickly on its plans to provide USD 8 million worth of humanitarian aid to North Korea through international organizations and is also considering sending food to the country that says it's suffering its worst drought in decades. Seoul's Unification Ministry said Monday it will discuss its plans with the World Food Program and the United Nations Children's Fund so the aid reaches North Korean children and pregnant women quickly.

Seoul hopes the aid will help revive diplomacy and engagement with Pyongyang that tapered off amid a stalemate in nuclear talks between the United States and North Korea. But Seoul has yet to decide on concrete plans amid public frustration over recent North Korean missile tests.