一个美国代表团已经启程前往平壤，评估这个贫困的国家对粮食援助的需求。美国朝鲜人权事务特使罗伯特·金星期二与助手从首尔启程。这次五天访问是17个月来美国官员对朝鲜的第一次访问。
朝鲜一直在要求重启有关朝鲜核项目的六方会谈。但是美国表示，罗伯特·金的唯一任务是评估朝鲜宣称的急需粮食援助，并了解是否能有效监督援助的执行情况。联合国机构说，朝鲜2300人口中至少有四分之一急需粮食援助，而朝鲜的粮食储备很快就要告罄。但是有些韩国官员认为，朝鲜是在夸大其所需，以此来为明年朝鲜建国者金日成100年诞辰囤积粮食。
A U.S. delegation has departed for North Korea to assess the need for food aid to the impoverished country.Robert 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 monitored.United 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.