According to reports, the Korean Sharing Movement, a non-governmental group seeking to reinstate ties between the two nations by delivering medical and agricultural aid, has been refused permission to deliver the supplies to the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK), following the implementation of tough new sanctions against Pyongyang, according to Yonhap.
"We've decided to put off our plans to deliver the supplies' shipments and to visit North Korea for cooperation," said Kang Young-sik, the group's secretary-general, after the DPRK learned of South Korea's support for the UN sanction decree.
On Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously voted to sanction an additional 14 high-profile North Korean officials and several state-run business entities, in light of continued ballistic missile testing by Pyongyang.
The sanctions include global travel bans and asset freezes.
The ongoing hostilities and military posturing are likely to make engagement with Pyongyang by South Korea's newly elected liberal President Moon Jae-in difficult, if not impossible, given the current poisonous bilateral climate.
Since Moon took office in May his administration, unlike the previous leadership which cut off all ties due to nuclear testing, has allowed 15 requests by local non-governmental organizations to implement exchanges between the two Koreas.
Those offers of aid have been consistently rebuffed by Pyongyang.
