(LEAD) Seoul ready to provide medical equipment to hospital in N. Korea if asked: gov't

SEOUL, South Korea – The South Korean government is prepared to provide medical equipment to a hospital in North Korea upon request, according to a unification ministry report. The report, submitted to Rep. Kim Dai-sik of the People Power Party, outlines plans to supply 166 types of medical equipment to Kangdong County Hospital in Pyongyang, the first hospital built under North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's initiative to develop factories and medical facilities nationwide.

The Ministry did not specify the exact medical equipment but assured that it would include essential tools for diagnosis, surgery, and treatment, as per the lawmaker. Despite existing U.N. sanctions prohibiting the supply of industrial machinery, including medical equipment, to North Korea, Seoul has obtained a sanctions exemption from the U.N.

Security Council sanctions committee. The government has also designated the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund to finance the project, positioning itself to deliver the assistance promptly if North Korea agrees to accept it. The approach is described as "ready to go," meaning preparations have been made to commence the project immediately once dialogue resumes.

Asked about the timing of such aid amidst the North's provocations, a ministry official emphasized that humanitarian aid is provided consistently, irrespective of political and military circumstances. Yoon Min-ho, a spokesperson of the unification ministry, reiterated this commitment during a press briefing. North Korea recently engaged in military provocations by firing short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, following a period of high tensions where South Korea, the U.S., and Japan concluded their trilateral military exercise.

The North has been pursuing its Regional Development 20 X 10 Policy since 2024, aiming to construct modern facilities in 20 regional areas annually over a decade to improve living standards in rural regions. The Kangdong County Hospital, the first hospital built under Kim Jong-un's plan, was completed in November 2025.