South Korea has allowed a private U.S.-based foundation to send tuberculosis medicines to North Korea. This is the first time South Korea has approved the shipment of any aid to its reclusive neighbor since the shelling of a border island in November.
The South Korean Ministry of Unification, which is responsible for authorizing cross-border activities, said Thursday (March 31) that it had approved a request by the Eugene Bell Foundation, which has a South Korean subsidiary, to send 336 million won ($305,177) worth of medicines to North Korea, Agence France-Presse says.
The ministry is prepared to consider requests from other relief groups that want to provide humanitarian aid to North Korea, the news agency adds, citing an unnamed ministry official.
South Korea halted the shipment of all humanitarian aid to North Korea after the latter’s deadly shelling of the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong.
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