The South Korean government says an assessment of the flood damage in North Korea must precede before deciding whether to provide help to the country. 

An official of the Ministry of Unification on Sunday revealed Seoul's cautious stance on the matter. 

The official said that the decision will be made only after a comprehensive review of several factors, including the level of damage, the urgency of the situation and transparency of the distribution of assisted goods.

While Pyongyang has not issued an official request for assistance, the Unification Ministry official said a South Korean civic group asked for permission to contact the North Korean government regarding possible flood assistance, which was turned down due to lack of paperwork.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA) said in a recent report that the North has suffered the worst floods in 50 years or 60 years, calling on the North Korean government to come up with countermeasures for its residents.

In the report, the OCHA said more than 50-thousand households in Musan in North Hamgyong and ten-thousand to 50-thousand households in Yeonsa County and Hoeryong in the same province were affected by the floods.