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South Korea says prepared to use flood relief to North Korea

South Korea is all set to supply North Korea with relief products for damage brought on by current heavy rains, South Korea's Red Cross said on Thursday, marking an unusual outreach under the administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol to its neighbour.

Authorities in the South were all set to go over the relief materials required, the scale of help and how to move it and looked forward to a speedy reaction from Pyongyang, the Red Cross stated.

The declaration was provided by the South's Unification Ministry, which deals with inter-Korean affairs. The Red Cross has taken the lead in performing tasks in between the rival Koreas in the past, consisting of reunions of apart families and supply of aid.

Heavy rains have actually hit the North's northwestern areas in recent days, flooding more than 4,000 homes in the regions of Sinuiju and Uiju, North Korean state media have reported.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally inspected the flooded locations and expressed severe issue over the damage, state media said on Monday.

The region has been impacted by heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Gaemi in recent days, which caused a landslide eliminating 12 individuals in southern China and flash floods somewhere else.

There is a possibility of substantial human casualties

in North Korea

, a Marriage Ministry authorities said on Thursday. South Korea's TV Chosun reported more than 1,100 people and as numerous as 1,500 individuals are dead or missing, mentioning an unnamed federal government authorities.

On Thursday, the North's state media said there was work under method in the capital to avoid the flooding of the Taedong River that streams through Pyongyang.

The deal of aid comes as relations between the two Koreas, which stay technically at war, have actually been particularly strained amidst a hardline stance towards the North by Yoon's federal government.

Since late May, the two sides have actually been locked in tensions over North Korea's launch of balloons bring garbage to the South and Seoul reacting with propaganda broadcasts at the border, which anger the North.

It was unclear if Pyongyang would respond at all to the offer or agree to hold discussions. North Korea has actually cut off all lines of official interaction with the South.

Clear evaluation of damage and casualties from catastrophes in the North is tough, as there are no outside humanitarian screens present in the reclusive state.

More rain was forecast for Sinuiju on Thursday and early Friday, according to South Korea's weather condition agency.

(source: Reuters)