Seoul to Offer Aid to NK Despite Clash

By Lee Tae-hoon Staff Reporter Despite Tuesday's inter-Korean naval clash off the West Sea, the government expressed Wednesday its firm commitment toward providing humanitarian assistance to North Korea. "With regard to North Korea's request for humanitarian aid, the South has already expressed its commitment to providing 10,000 tons of corn," said Chun Hae-sung, the spokesman of the Unification Ministry. "There is no change in the government's stance." North Korea has not formally responded to the proposal, which was made last month. The North reportedly asked the South to offer 100,000 tons of food at working-level talks on Oct. 16. Chun also said that inter-Korean border crossings had remained normal. "As of now, there hasn't been any particular situation reported in the joint Gaeseong Industrial Complex and Mt. Geumgang resort area," Chun said. More than 100 South Korean businesses are operating in the complex. A presidential spokeswoman said the government did not want inter-Korean relations to deteriorate due to the incident. Nevertheless, the administration will continue to be prepared for any developments, Kim Eun-hye said. The South Korean military is on high alert after Tuesday's inter-Korean naval clash along the West Sea border, military officials said Wednesday. The Navy added two patrol boats to the area. Though tensions were high, no signs of retaliatory maneuvers by the North had been detected, an official told The Korea Times. "No suspicious activity has been detected," said Col. Park Sung-woo, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Park said the military could not confirm the media reports that one North Korean sailor had been killed and three had been wounded in the skirmish - the first armed Naval clash between the two Koreas in seven years. The waves have also been very high, causing even fishing vessels to remain docked, he added. On Tuesday, Navy vessels of the two sides exchanged fire for roughly two minutes off the West Coast. The North Korean patrol boat retreated in flames, while South Korea suffered no serious damage or causalities, according to the JCS. Both sides have demanded an apology. The South said the North triggered the incident and should stop provocative acts that will only worsen inter-Korean relations. But the North said it was a grave act of armed provocation by the South in its territorial waters. Meanwhile, the United States called on the North not to escalate tensions on the peninsula. "I would say to the North Koreans that we hope that there will be no further actions in the West Sea that could be seen as an escalation," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also urged the two Koreas to resolve any disputes they have through dialogue. "Ban has called for maximum restraint by both parties. This incident highlights the need to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue and in a peaceful manner," U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters. leeth@koreatimes.co.kr