South Korea’s unification ministry has rejected humanitarian groups’ requests to contact North Korean partners to arrange aid shipments since last year, two ROK organizations told NK News this week. 

The alleged rejections occurred despite the current Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s pledge to “consistently pursue humanitarian aid to North Korea, regardless of the political and military situation.”

Coal Briquettes for Neighbors in Korea said the ministry rejected its last request to contact DPRK partners in Nov. 2023 after repeatedly being approved in the past. The small nongovernmental organization has been delivering coal briquettes for cooking and heating to North Korea since 2004.