South Korea is likely to resume humanitarian assistance to North Korea despite the grave security situation sparked by the North's missile tests, a government official said Monday.

The Ministry of Unification said that it is expected to keep the principle of providing humanitarian aid to the North regardless of the political situation under the new administration of President Moon Jae-in.

The government under former President Park Geun-hye said that it would continue to provide humanitarian assistance to those vulnerable in North Korea such as infants and pregnant women. But Seoul has suspended almost all civilian inter-Korean exchanges since North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test in January 2016.

Last year the government approved only the Eugene Bell Foundation Korea's delivery of medication for tuberculosis to North Korea. (Yonhap)