S. Korea to continue malaria aid to N. Korea

SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will continue its annual aid to North
Korea to help eradicate malaria north of the border despite tensions over
Pyongyang's imminent rocket launch, Seoul officials said Friday.

Seoul will donate US$1.09 million to the World Health Organization to help North
Korea's fight against malaria, said officials from the Unification Ministry
handling inter-Korean affairs.
Seoul has been a major donor of malaria aid to North Korea since 2001, following
a malaria breakout in the North. The number of malaria patients reported by North
Korea to the WHO in 2000 was roughly 200,000, but with aid from Seoul, the figure
dropped to 23,400 last year, according to the ministry.
"This project is good not only for the North Korean people but for our citizens
as well," Unification Minister Hyun In-taek said at a parliamentary meeting.
Seoul officials say the aid helped curb infections among South Koreans living in
the border region or visiting North Korea.
The latest decision comes as North Korea plans to send what it calls a
"communications satellite," the Kwangmyongsong-2, into orbit as early as
Saturday. South Korea, the U.S. and Japan believe the launch is a guise for
testing its long-range missile technology and call for U.N. sanctions. China and
Russia are reluctant to impose sanctions if the launch proves to be for a
satellite as the North claims.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)