South Korea to resume fertiliser aid to North

SEOUL, Mar 8 (Reuters) South Korea plans to resume fertiliser shipments to the North in time for spring sowing in the next few weeks, a senior official said today, about eight months after Seoul cut off aid in response to Pyongyang's missile tests.

Ties between the two Koreas, chilled by North Korea's defiant missile launch in July 2006 and its first nuclear test a few months later, have improved since Pyongyang agreed last month at six-country talks to start scrapping its nuclear arms programme.

''We plan to make the assistance available in time for spring sowing if possible and following due procedures,'' South Korean Vice Unification Minister Shin Eon-sang told reporters without announcing an exact date.

North Korea sent a formal request for 300,000 tonnes of fertiliser yesterday through its Red Cross society.

International aid organisations say North Korea suffers from chronic food shortages because of its mismanaged farm policy. Even in a good year, it still falls about 1 million tonnes short of what is required to feed its people.

South Korea has typically sent as much as 500,000 tonnes of rice and 350,000 tonnes of fertiliser to the North a year.

The two Koreas last week held their first high-level since the North stormed out of a meeting in July in anger at Seoul's decision to suspend food handouts.

Pyongyang agreed at their recent meeting to restart reunions of family members separated during the 1950-53 Korean War.

Reuters BDP DB0952