Chung Eui-yong, chief of the National Security Office, speaks in a media briefing at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

Businesspeople allowed to visit Gaeseong

By Lee Min-hyung

South Korea will stick to its plan to provide food aid to North Korea, as this should be seen from a humanitarian perspective regardless of the country's recent provocations, National Security Office (NSO) chief Chung Eui-yong said Friday.

"The issue of providing food aid to North Korea should be reviewed from the viewpoint of compatriots without regard to national security," Chung told reporters at Cheong Wa Dae

The Ministry of Unification said it plans to provide $8 million in food aid in partnership with international relief organizations, such as the World Food Programme and the United Nations Children's Fund.

This comes amid skepticism toward the aid plan after a series of short-range missile and "unidentified projectile" tests this month.

Some media outlets reported Friday the United States Forces Korea (USFK) concluded these were short-range ballistic missile launches.

Chung, however, denied the report, saying that this was not the official stance of the USFK.

"South Korea and the U.S. are still analyzing the details of what the projectiles were, and this is the official position of the allies," Chun said.

Pyongyang's recent moves were in sharp contrast to those from last year when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took part in a series of summits to discuss peace on the Korean Peninsula.