South Korea today offered to ship about 10,000 tons of corn to North Korea, in what would be the first official aid to its hungry neighbour for almost two years. The unification ministry said the South also offered to provide 20 tons of milk powder and medicine for children, pregnant women and other vulnerable people. The proposed shipment through the Red Cross would be the first official one since a conservative government came to power in Seoul in February 2008. The unification ministry admitted it was far less than needed but said the North must mend relations before shipments could be increased. In a report last month, the United Nations World Food Programme said a third of North Korean women and young children are malnourished and the country will run short of almost 1.8 million tons of food this year. Last year the South offered 50,000 tons of corn but the North rejected the shipment amid high tensions.