ISTANBUL

South Korea on Saturday expressed hope that North Korea will respond positively after the UN Security Council granted exemptions from sanctions for humanitarian aid projects in North Korea, local media reported.

A South Korean official from the presidential office said that humanitarian assistance for North Korea should continue irrespective of political circumstances, Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported.

"The UNSC sanctions on North Korea clearly state that the sanctions measures are not intended at limiting those humanitarian aid activities," the official said.

The Security Council 1718 Committee on sanctions against North Korea unanimously approved on Thursday the lifting of restrictions on 17 humanitarian projects in the North, according to the agency.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun reportedly sought US support for the exemptions during his discussions with Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week.

The official added that South Korea expects North Korea to “respond positively to the good faith of the international community to help improve its humanitarian situation and to Seoul's efforts toward peaceful co-existence on the Korean Peninsula.”