In its first shipment, South Korea has started sending 50,000 MT of rice aid to North Korea overland as part of its promised loan of 400,000 MT of rice aid.

Over the next five weeks, South Korea is to deliver 30,000 MT of rice to the North via the road passing through the border town of Kaesong, while another 20,000 MT will be transported across the east coast.

The overall rice aid, consisting of 250,000 MT of imported rice and 150,000 MT of domestic rice, will be delivered over the next five months.