South Korea will allow private organizations to contact North Korea to support flood relief efforts, emphasizing that the government is making an exception after previously appearing to forbid such contact amid strained inter-Korean ties.

A unification ministry spokesperson said during a press briefing on Friday that the ROK government decided to grant permission to groups that have applied to help DPRK residents “return to their daily lives as soon as possible.”

She added that South Korea’s current policy allows for contact for “essential issues,” including matters related to public safety, the protection of property rights and families separated by Korea’s