The nation's civic groups provided humanitarian support worth over 4-point-1 million U.S. dollars to North Korea this year.<br />According to Seoul's unification ministry... six South Korean civic groups delivered items like tuberculosis medicine, milk powder, flour, fertilizers and seeds to Pyeongyang throughout this year.<br />Most of the support consisted of medicine and medical supplies.<br />The ministry adds such efforts picked up steam after the inter-Korean summit in September.<br />Meanwhile, 1-thousand-42 North Koreans have defected to the South this year.<br />The number is similar to that of the same period last year.<br />Seoul says an average of 1-thousand to 1-thousand-5-hundred North Koreans have been crossing the border each year since Kim Jong-un came into power in 2012. <br />
