South Korea will determine if and when it will provide humanitarian assistance to North Korea by taking all relevant factors into consideration but it will be pursued regardless of any political situations, the country's top diplomat has said.

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha made the remark in a meeting held on Tuesday with Anthony Lake, executive director of the UN International Children's Emergency Fund on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly underway in New York.
 

"Details such as its timing will be determined by taking into account comprehensive aspects including the current inter-Korean relations and the North's nuclear and missile provocations," Kang said, according to the foreign ministry in Seoul.

"Our government's basic stance is that the assistance issue should be separated from any political considerations," she was quoted as saying.

It was in response to Lake's emphasis on UNICEF's stance that the humanitarian aid issue should be dealt with separately from political factors. Lake also noted that it is imperative to provide assistance, in particular, to the North's children suffering from malnutrition, the ministry said.

Earlier, Seoul's unification ministry announced that the country is considering providing $8 million worth of aid to the impoverished nation via UN agencies including UNICEF. It plans to hold a meeting to discuss the matter on Thursday. (Yonhap)