Yonhap
10/19/2007
South Korea has spent nearly 4 trillion won (US$4.36 billion) over the last six years to provide rice and fertilizer to North Korea, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said Friday.
In a report forwarded to lawmakers for this year’s parliamentary audit, the ministry said Seoul spent 3.33 trillion won to send 2.2 million tons of rice to Pyongyang from 2002 to August of this year.
It said 400,000 tons of rice were shipped every year from 2002 to 2004, while 500,000 tons were shipped in 2005. Numbers dropped to 100,000 tons last year after Pyongyang fired off rockets and exploded a nuclear device.
This year, 400,000 tons have been sent to make up for poor harvest in the North.
Of the total, 2.1 million tons of rice were sent as low interest, long-term loans to be paid back in 20 years after a grace period of 10 years.
The ministry said 620 billion won were spent to send about 2 million tons of fertilizer to the North in the cited period.
Opposition lawmakers claimed the government had diverted 2.18 trillion won from the country’s grain management special account to provide North Korea with agricultural support.
“The grain account is aimed at helping local farmers. but the government is using it to supplement the inter-Korean cooperation fund,” said Rep. Hong Moon-pyo of the conservative Grand National Party.
He said that because it will take some time to recover the money, any shortcomings in the grain fund will have to come from the regular account and that will create a burden for taxpayers.
The government asked lawmakers to approve 909.6 billion won for next year’s inter-Korean cooperation fund. This year, the fund amounts to 870.4 billion won.
The money will be used to send 500,000 tons of rice and 400,000 tons of fertilizer to North Korea.
