Seoul Wants Japan’s Rice Shipments Delayed

South Korea urged Japan on Saturday to delay its planned rice shipments to North Korea until after the communist state discusses food aid from its southern capitalist rival.

The North acknowledged for the first time Friday that it suffers from a grave food shortage and, in a humbling request to a longtime enemy, pleaded with Japan for emergency rice aid.

Seoul later said it was willing to send rice to North Korea without conditions. The North has not yet responded to the offer.

South Korea concluded after a Cabinet meeting on Saturday that any shipment of Japanese rice aid to the North would not help improve relations between the two Koreas.

If, however, the rice came from South Korea, Seoul believes the North might be persuaded to start peace talks.

Foreign Minister Gong Ro-myung delivered Seoul’s message to the Japanese ambassador in Seoul and urged Tokyo’s assistance, ministry officials said.

The North calls South Korea a U.S. puppet and rejects all offers for talks.

Li Song Rok, chairman of North Korea’s International Trade Promotion Committee, blamed the shortage on bad weather and said he had been directed by North Korea’s prime minister to ask Japan for aid.

Li was also quoted as saying that his country would consider accepting rice directly from South Korea if no conditions were attached.

The North has refused to consider previous offers of aid from the South, accusing Seoul of propaganda motives.

Defectors from North Korea have reported severe food shortages, especially in the countryside, and in February North Korea quietly agreed to buy 300,000 tons of low-quality rice from a Thai company.

Since the collapse of its East Bloc allies, North Korea has been short of cash and what little it has is largely spent on its military.