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The South's frontline troops have observed North Korean soldiers unloading rice sacks stamped, "The Republic of Korea" -- the South's official name -- at their bases along the heavily fortified border, defense officials say. The bags were also used for the North's military encampment, they say.
South Korean military authorities have taken photographs of humanitarian rice aid being handled by the North's soldiers on at least 10 occasions, the officials said, confirming reports by Seoul's largest newspaper, Chosun Ilbo.
Earlier this week, the conservative daily said the North has diverted the South's rice aid to the military since 2003, accusing the South's government of ignoring the repeated misappropriations.
"South Korean military authorities have known since 2003 that North Korea has transported rice supplied by the South for humanitarian purposes to frontline units of the North Korean Army," the newspaper said. "But neither the South Korean government nor military authorities protested to North Korea or asked it for an explanation, apparently for fear of provoking Pyongyang," it said.
The South has donated 2.4 million tons of rice and 200,000 tons of corn to the North since 2003, when a liberal government was inaugurated with a pledge of reconciliation with the communist neighbor. The Seoul government plans to provide 500,000 tons of rice aid to the North and use 197.4 billion won (US$209.1 million) this year for inter-Korean economic cooperation projects.
But the government has failed to ensure the aid reaches those in need. North Korean defectors who resettled in Seoul claim most of the South's food aid was given to the military.
According to a recent survey of 250 North Korean refugees, just less than 8 percent of those polled said they had received rice supplied by the South. Some 60 percent said they believed the rice aid was provided to the military on a priority basis.
The North's 1.2-million-strong armed forces, the world's fifth largest, are the backbone of the iron-fisted rule of Kim Jong Il, who is ruling the reclusive country in the capacity of the top military commander.
Kim has put top priority on the military under his much-touted "songun (army-first) politics," calling on his hunger-stricken people to bear economic hardships to build a stronger military.
Concerns about military use of aid have further heightened as the North strengthened military drills this winter, arousing suspicions the energy-starved country may have diverted fuel oil provided under a multilateral denuclearization deal.
Seoul's Yonhap News Agency said North Korea has increased ground and air maneuvers since December despite acute energy shortages. The winter drills unusually involved oil-consuming exercises of fighter jets, the agency said, citing military sources.
Analysts here questioned the source of the oil spent on the military training amid strong crude prices, saying heavy fuel oil provided under the nuclear deal may be diverted.
Under a six-nation agreement last year, the North would receive 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil or equivalent aid in return for disabling its nuclear facilities and declaring all it's atomic programs. The North has so far received 196,000 tons of heavy oil, according to Seoul's Foreign Ministry.
Fueling concerns about misappropriation of aid, North Korea has yet to start building a reunion center for families separated by the division of the Korean peninsula despite receiving in March last year US$400,000 in cash and construction materials worth US$3.4 million from the South for the humanitarian project. The Unification Ministry has urged North Korea to account for the aid for the family reunion center, but Pyongyang has yet to offer any explanation.
In March 2006, the South provided 5 billion won (US$5.3 million) worth of materials for the construction of tourism facilities around the North's highest mountain, Mount Paekdu. But South Korean officials were not allowed to monitor the use of the aid.
The South donated 221 billion won worth of aid in August 2006 to help the North recover from flood damages, and 5,000 tons of rice as well as 50,000 tons of cement in April 2004 to help rebuild the North Korean town of Ryongchon hit by a train blast. But Seoul officials could not monitor the use of the aid due to the North's refusals.
The Unification Ministry that handles inter-Korean relations has acknowledged the lack of monitoring of aid deliveries in North Korea. "The government recognizes that the current level of transparency in the distribution is not good enough," a ministry official said.
Citing the lack of monitoring, President-elect Lee Myung-Bak has vowed to review economic programs for North Korea and significantly boost transparency in providing aid.
Lee is also seeking to close down the Unification Ministry that has spearheaded Seoul's reconciliation policy toward the North, in a symbolic measure to pursue a tough stance toward the communist neighbor. Lee, who is from the conservative party, is to take office on Feb. 25, ending a decade of rule by liberals who have pushed for unconditional reconciliation with the North.
