Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Kim Yung-rok has confirmed the government has no plans yet to provide rice to North Korea as part of humanitarian aid. 

Kim made the remark during a parliamentary inspection of the government on Thursday, mentioning the international community’s ongoing efforts to sanction the North.

Kim, however, suggested that rice provisions will play a leading role in improving inter-Korean relations when a breakthrough is made in the North Korean nuclear issue and inter-Korean tensions ease.