DPRK REQUESTS ANOTHER 300,000 TONS OF FERTILIZER

UNCLAS SEOUL 001179 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EAID KS KN SUBJECT: DPRK REQUESTS ANOTHER 300,000 TONS OF FERTILIZER FROM ROK ¶1. (U) The Yonhap News Agency reported April 10 that, via a Red Cross telegram, the DPRK had requested an additional 300,000 tons of fertilizer assistance from the ROK. Ministry of Unification officials reportedly told Yonhap that they expected the request for fertilizer would be an agenda item during the April 21-24 North-South ministerial talks. ¶2. (SBU) Earlier in the year, the DPRK requested 450,000 tons of fertilizer and the ROK responded by providing 150,000 tons, without addressing the question of the remaining 300,000. Kim Jong-ro, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Office in the Ministry of Unification, told poloff on April 10 that it was premature to discuss the amount of fertilizer the ROK would provide the DPRK, pointing out that Seoul had only received the DPRK request a few hours earlier. Noting past practice, however, he said the ROK would undoubtedly provide additional assistance, although the amount had not been determined. In 2005, North Korea requested 500,000 tons of fertilizer and the ROK provided 350,000, along with 500,000 tons of rice. VERSHBOW