A North Korean farmer walks through a village in an area damaged by summer floods and typhoons in South Hwanghae Province, Sept. 30, 2011. Reuters-Yonhap

By Kim Yoo-chul

South Korea will provide humanitarian food aid to North Korea after U.S. President Donald Trump expressed support for this idea in a phone conversation with President Moon Jae-in, a senior presidential aide said Wednesday.

The unification ministry confirmed this later, saying it will decide on how much and when food aid would be delivered to the impoverished North.

Moon and Trump exchanged views about a recently released joint food security assessment from the World Food Program (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) during their conversation Tuesday (KST). Trump told Moon that Seoul's provision of food to the North was "well-timed" and called the plan a "positive measure."

"When you read recently released WFP reports about the food situation in North Korea, it's been advised to help needy North Korean citizens as the country is combating continued chronic food shortages. Seoul and Washington are speaking in one voice on such humanitarian assistance issues regarding North Korea," the aide said.

The U.N. report said 10.1 million North Koreans continue to suffer food insecurity, and predicted falling crops yields, expanding food shortfalls and lower Public Distribution System (PDS) rations. "Overall, it is estimated that 10.1 million people (40 percent of the population) are food insecure and in urgent need of food assistance," it noted.