英语新闻阅读：美国代表团出访平壤评估粮食需求

英语自学网

　　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.