Recently some forces have spread sinister rumor over the issue of the U.S. food aid to the DPRK by distorting the present situation of their own accord.

What cannot be overlooked is the fact that the hostile forces have talked nonsense that the DPRK asked for food aid due to the hardships by the great loss to the nation.

The issue of food aid now on the agenda between the DPRK and the U.S. came up early in 2011 when the U.S. raised the provision of 330 000 tons of food it failed to do. The U.S. promised to offer 500 000 tons three years ago.

At the beginning the U.S. asserted that food aid had nothing to do with politics as it is a humanitarian issue.

The U.S., at the DPRK-U.S. high-ranking talks started in July 2011, proposed to take confidence-building steps such as suspension of sanctions as well as food aid in case the DPRK takes similar steps such as temporary suspension of uranium enrichment the former asked. After all the U.S. itself raised this problem as political.

But, the U.S. has drastically changed the amount and items of provision contrary to the originally promised food aid of more than 300 000 tons. So, the DPRK cannot but have doubt about the U.S. will for confidence building, and this compels the former to return to the boundary discussed in May 2011.

We will watch if the U.S. truly wants to build confidence.