North Korean food need seen as not serious

SEOUL, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- The food situation in North Korea is not as serious as claimed in a recent United Nations report, South Korean Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik said Thursday.

Referring to a recent U.N. World Food Program's report that one-third of all children below age five in North Korea suffer from chronic malnutrition, Yu said the North's rice crop seemed to be only slightly below average.

However, he said he didn't "think (the food situation) is very serious," the Yonhap News Agency reported. It said Yu did not give additional details or figures.

The U.N. report had said the number of North Korean children hospitalized because of chronic malnutrition appeared to be increasing, and warned thousands more could be at risk if more food aid didn't reach the country.

Recent flooding in North Korea destroyed tens of thousands of acres of farmland.

South Korea has indicated it is willing to give aid to North Korea if the latter demonstrates its commitment to denuclearization, a precondition for resuming the six-nation talks in exchange for massive aid.

South Korea halted unconditional aid to the North in 2008 and imposed sanctions on Pyongyang last year after the North was accused of sinking a South Korean warship, Yonhap reported.

The report said since then South Korea has continued to approve humanitarian and medical help from religious and private aid groups.