South Korea offers humanitarian aid to North Korea for first time in 12 years after flood disaster... ”hoping for a swift response”

The South Korean government has extended humanitarian aid to North Korea for the first time in 12 years after the flooding. The heavy rains at the end of last month caused the Yalu River to overflow, causing severe damage in North Korea.
In response, South Korea has offered to provide assistance to the victims in North Korea and urged them to respond quickly. Park Jeong-sul, secretary general of the Korean Red Cross, said at a press conference at the Government Seoul Complex on the afternoon of the 1st,
"The torrential rains that hit North Korea, including Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, and Jagang Province, have reportedly caused a lot of damage to residents," he said, adding, "We offer our heartfelt condolences to the residents who have suffered great damage from the heavy rains."
"In light of the humanitarian difficulties faced by the residents, we intend to swiftly provide the necessary supplies to the victims, based on the principles of humanitarianism and brotherhood," he said.
"We are ready to hold discussions with the North Korean Red Cross Central Committee regarding the items, scale and method of support, and look forward to a swift response," he added.
Since 2000, there have been four cases in which South Korea provided humanitarian aid to North Korea after flooding. In 2005, the government provided relief supplies (200 million won), in 2006,
In 2007, rice, relief supplies, and equipment (80 billion won and 42.3 billion won, respectively), and in 2010, rice, instant ramen, and cement (7.2 billion won).
In 2011, South Korea offered humanitarian aid to North Korea for flood damage, but the offer never materialized because North Korea did not respond.
In 2012, North Korea expressed its intention to reject the proposal. The South Korean government's proposal was announced by the media under the name of the Korean Red Cross.
However, the budget for humanitarian assistance will be provided by the North-South Cooperation Fund of the Ministry of Unification.
The decision was made after close consultation with the Korean Red Cross. An official from the Ministry of Unification said, "If we receive a response from the North, we will first consider providing emergency food, medicine, and other supplies that are urgently needed by the victims."
Regarding the method of negotiation between the two Koreas if North Korea responds, the government said, "The format of the negotiation is not important," and added, "Various methods are available, including face-to-face consultations, written consultations, and consultations in a third country through a diplomatic mission overseas."
On May 10, 2022, after the Yoon administration took office, it proposed working-level contact regarding cooperation in preventing the COVID-19 virus outbreak, but the North did not respond, and the proposal did not come to fruition.
Heavy rains on the 27th of last month caused the Yalu River to flood, causing major damage in Sinuiju City and Uiju County in North Pyongan Province, as well as Jagang Province and Ryanggang Province, which are located downstream of the river.
According to the scale of damage officially announced by North Korea so far, about 4,100 houses and farmland have been destroyed in the islands of Sinuiju and Yiju alone.
Public buildings, roads, railways, and other structures covering an area of 3,000 hectares were flooded, but the actual scale of damage is expected to be much greater.
There are also believed to have been casualties, but North Korea has not released specific figures.
The Ministry of Unification said, "There is a possibility of considerable loss of life." Meanwhile, Kim Jung Eun, the North's general secretary, designated some areas along the Yalu River as "special disaster emergency areas" on the 28th of last month.
Kim also personally led the 22nd Emergency Expanded Political Bureau Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Sinuiju from the 29th to the 30th, where he declared, "We must not allow the unacceptable loss of life to occur.
We will take strict measures against those responsible," he said, dismissing Minister of Social Safety Lee Tae-seop and Kang Bong-hoon, secretary-general of the Jagang Provincial Party.
This is the second time that Kim Jong Un has held an emergency expanded meeting since taking power, and the first was for a flood-related meeting.
This is the first time we have had such a discussion.