S Korean official says DPRK food shortage not "serious"
South Korea's new unification minister said Thursday that food situation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is not unusually serious.
"I don't think the situation is very serious, though the rice harvest fell a little short of the usual level," Yu Woo-ik of the unification ministry, which oversees inter-Korean affairs, told parliament.
The remark made by Yu, who recently replaced a hard-liner, contrasts with estimates by aid agencies that show the DPRK suffers from critical food shortages affecting a quarter of its 24 million population.
UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amosa is set to visit the DPRK later this month to assess food needs in the country, as the organization appeals for 218 U.S. million dollars in aid.
Editor: Mo Hong'e
English.news.cn 2011-10-06 17:36:50 FeedbackPrintRSS
SEOUL, Oct. 6 (Xinhua)
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