June 8 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Monday it approved Jeju Island’s request to contact North Korean residents and ship goods to the North under relevant legal requirements.

Yoon Min-ho, the ministry’s spokesperson, said during a regular briefing at the government complex in Seoul that the ministry had approved Jeju’s application for an inter-Korean cooperation project.

“However, it is difficult for the Unification Ministry to confirm specific details or the current status of the project,” Yoon said.

Jeju officials said at a briefing Monday that medical equipment, forest disaster-prevention chemicals and Hallabong tangerine seedlings arrived at North Korea’s Nampo port on May 4 after passing through China’s Dalian port.

The provincial government said the cooperation followed discussions that began in early February between Jeju and the North Korean Supporters’ Association for the Disabled.

Jeju reported the planned shipment to the Unification Ministry on March 9. The items included kidney dialysis machines and supplies, Hallabong tangerines and seedlings, greenhouse facilities and chemicals to control pine wilt disease.

The ministry reviewed and approved the request. The goods left Incheon port for Dalian, China, on April 1 before being moved to Nampo on May 4.

A Jeju delegation reportedly met North Korean officials in Beijing in February and reached a broad agreement on inter-Korean cooperation. Initial areas of cooperation include citrus fruit, medical welfare and forest disaster prevention, with possible future cooperation in pig farming and tourism.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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