SEOUL - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is in need of 434,000 tons of food assistance to tackle its critical food shortage affecting a quarter of its 24 million population, officials from the United Nations World Food Program said Wednesday in Seoul.

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Seven WFP officials, who wrapped up a field research on DPRK's food situation, made the remarks during a meeting with a senior official of South Korean unification ministry, which overseas inter-Korean relations.

The officials, led by donor relations director Terri Toyota, stopped short of officially asking the South Korean government to resume its food aid to the DPRK, according to the unification ministry.

Republic of Korea (ROK) suspended aid to its northern neighbor following a  ROK warship was sunk by alleged torpedo attack last year near the disputed western sea border between the two rivals, allowing only emergency humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable.