韓美, 北 식량지원 공감대.. 멈춰선'비핵화 대화'견인하나?<br /><br />South Korea and the U.S. have reaffirmed their support for food aid to North Korea,... and Seoul has announced its plans to begin reviewing the process of sending the aid.<br />While there are hopes that such an effort could bring the North back to the negotiating table,... experts are doubtful. <br />Our Lee Ji-won has more. <br />The U.S. has said it will not intervene if South Korea decides to provide humanitarian aid to the North.<br />White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters this on Wednesday,... also reiterating that the maximum pressure campaign will continue. <br />U.S. President Donald Trump had also said he supported South Korea's plans to provide aid during his phone call with President Moon Jae-in earlier in the week. <br />A key Blue House official told reporters Wednesday that it is now starting to review the humanitarian food aid to the North. <br />Seoul's Unification Ministry also said that it will proceed with the aid through close coordination with the international community.<br />But it added that it's not yet at a stage to share how much aid will be given or how it will be delivered. <br />With such developments,... there are hopes that this could lead to some progress in the current stalemate between Pyeongyang and Washington. <br />At the Hanoi summit, North Korea asked for a step-by-step negotiation with sanctions alleviation as an early corresponding measure,... and the U.S. requested an overall roadmap from the North before any sanctions relief. <br />And recently, the North has said it wants a guarantee of its regime's security in exchange for denuclearization.<br />Amid the atmosphere getting increasingly tense due to the North's recent firings of several projectiles,... some experts say the humanitarian aid could help soften the mood.<br />"It won't directly prompt the North to move, but it is a friendly gesture from the leaders of Seoul and Washington, so it shows their willingness to continue talks as well as setting the atmosphere for it."<br />But some experts say it won't be enough to bring the North back to the negotiating table. <br />"The humanitarian aid was already an exemption from the UN sanctions. Providing the North with food assistance is not significant enough to change the North's attitude."<br />The expert however added that North Korea previously responded to the food aid with humanitarian inter-Korean exchanges such as reunions for separated families. <br />Thus, with inter-Korean exchanges at a standstill, the aid may be able to spark something on that front. <br />Lee Ji-won, Arirang News. <br />
