Seoul: The Jeju provincial government announced on Monday that it has recently dispatched dialysis machines, tangerine saplings, and additional supplies to North Korea. This effort is part of an inter-Korean cooperation project aimed at fostering collaboration between the two regions.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the supplies, valued at 160 million won (US$104,000), reached North Korea's western port of Nampho on May 4. The shipment commenced from South Korea's western port of Incheon on April 1 and transited through the Chinese port of Dalian. The provincial government had submitted an application to the unification ministry on March 9 to facilitate this shipment, which included medical equipment, forestry pesticides, and saplings of Hallabong, a citrus fruit native to Jeju.
The project was initiated after discussions on inter-Korean cooperation projects between Jeju Governor Oh Young-hun and Unification Minister Chung Dong-young last November. A provincial delegation met with North Korean officials in February and agreed on a phased approach to cooperation, initially focusing on tangerines, medical welfare, and forest pest control, with plans to later expand into pig farming and tourism.
Although there are reports suggesting that Governor Oh met with Ri Ho-nam, a North Korean intelligence operative, in Beijing in February, the Jeju government has not confirmed these claims. Ri is involved in a 2019 remittance case where prosecutors allege that a former chairman of an underwear company illegally delivered $700,000 to him in Manila, Philippines.
Historically, Jeju has been involved in inter-Korean projects, sending 48,000 tons of tangerines and 18,000 tons of carrots to North Korea from 1998 to 2010. These initiatives were halted after the 2010 sinking of a South Korean warship by a North Korean torpedo in the Yellow Sea, leading to the loss of 46 South Korean sailors. However, Jeju did send tangerines to North Korea in 2018 and 2021 in isolated occurrences.
The unification ministry has approved Jeju's request to send goods to the North, citing adherence to legal requirements. Ministry spokesperson Yoon Min-ho highlighted that under the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act, a provincial government is considered a legal entity rather than a government authority, ensuring that the project does not fall under state-level exchange programs.