美國代表團出訪平壤評估糧食需求

A U.S. delegation has departed for North Korea to assess the need for food aid to the impoverished rt King, the special envoy for human rights issues in North Korea, left with aides from Seoul on Tuesday. The five-day visit is the first to North Korea by any U.S. officials in 17 months.

North Korea has been pressing for a resumption of six-nation talks on its nuclear programs. But the United States says King's only mission is to evaluate claims that North Korea is in dire need of food assistance, and to see whether the delivery of aid can be effectively ed Nations agencies say more than a quarter of North Korea's 23 million people are in urgent need of food aid and that reserves will soon begin to run out. But some officials in South Korea believe the North is exaggerating its needs in order to stockpile food for next year's 100th anniversary of the birth of founder Kim Il Sung.一個美國代表團已經啓程前往平壤，評估這個貧困的國家對糧食援助的需求。美國朝鮮人權事務特使羅伯特·金星期二與助手從首爾啓程。這次五天訪問是17個月來美國官員對朝鮮的第一次訪問。

朝鮮一直在要求重啓有關朝鮮核項目的六方會談。但是美國表示，羅伯特·金的唯一任務是評估朝鮮宣稱的急需糧食援助，並瞭解是否能有效監督援助的執行情況。聯合國機構說，朝鮮2300人口中至少有四分之一急需糧食援助，而朝鮮的糧食儲備很快就要告罄。但是有些韓國官員認爲，朝鮮是在誇大其所需，以此來爲明年朝鮮建國者金日成100年誕辰囤積糧食。