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South Korea Approves An $8 Million Aid Package For North Korea

The funds will be distributed via United Nations agencies to help North Korean children and pregnant women.
Posted at 11:05 AM, Sep 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-21 11:05:17-04

South Korea approved an $8 million aid package for North Korea — and it's reportedly causing some tension.

The aid will be distributed via United Nations agencies. It'll go toward supporting North Korean children and pregnant women, who the U.N. says are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Some analysts have questioned the timing of the aid package, noting it could undermine global efforts to curb the North's provocative moves.

Less than two weeks ago, the United Nations voted to impose new sanctions on North Korea after its nuclear test.

Despite that blowback, the North pledged to continue developing its nuclear program.

The U.N. agency UNICEF estimates 5.3 million children and pregnant women in North Korea need humanitarian assistance.

South Korea's unification ministry emphasized humanitarian aid shouldn't be affected by the North's international political tensions.