y Kim Young-jin
The United States has apparently concluded that North Korea is not experiencing an overall food crisis, though some areas are suffering from shortages, a local daily reported.
The Donga-Ilbo, citing an unnamed South Korean diplomatic source, said the conclusion was based on a fact-finding mission last month led by Robert King, Washington’s point man on North Korean human rights.
“Though the U.S. has yet to release an official report on the visit, it made a preliminary judgment based on the results of the assessment team’s trip that the North has no comprehensive food crisis,” the source said.
The Obama administration has been mulling the resumption of aid in an apparent bid to cool tensions but has come up against opposition on Capitol Hill as well as in Seoul. The Lee Myung-bak administration does not believe the food situation in the North is particularly worse than in recent years.
The United Nations estimates that a quarter of the 24 million people in the North are in dire need of food.
The U.S. embassy in Seoul could not confirm the report and said Washington was still deliberating over whether to send aid.
It is expected to reach its decision after consulting with the European Union, which sent its own assessment team to the North that wrapped up their survey last week.
On his trip, King reportedly failed to agree with Pyongyang over how to monitor aid to make sure it reaches the intended target. Many say outside assistance is often diverted for military purposes.
Another source said more negotiations over transparency were needed for Washington to make a decision.
U.S. experts expect Washington to eventually mobilize a small amount of food aid. Such a move, they say, could help engage Pyongyang without raising the ire of Seoul, which demands an apology for the North’s deadly provocations last year.