North Korea Asks South for Fertilizer

North Korea has requested more assistance in the form of fertiliser from South Korea ahead of high-level talks later this month.
North Korea's Red Cross made the request for 300,000 tonnes of fertiliser, the South's Unification Ministry said in a statement.

Seoul has so far sent 150,000 tonnes of fertiliser to the North this year.

Officials from the two sides are due to meet on 21 April in Pyongyang for four days of talks.

South Korea has not yet decided how to respond. "We will discuss this request at inter-Korean talks," a ministry official said.

North Korea does not produce enough food to feed its population of 23 million. It relies on aid from countries such as South Korea and China.

In September 2005, North Korea told the United Nations food agency - the World Food Programme - that it no longer needed food aid, but wanted development aid instead.

South Korea says the aid it gives the North is part of its humanitarian assistance and not linked to the ongoing row over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme.