North Korea, in surprise move, accepts flood aid from South

North Korea, in a surprise move Monday, accepted an offer of aid from South Korea, as the hermit kingdom continues to recover from a series of summer storms and floods, DPA reported.

South Korea's Defence Ministry reported that the North Korean Red Cross had agreed to accept the aid, which was offered last week. It requested "details on the kind and quantities of aid good" on offer.

It was unclear if officials from the two countries' agencies would meet to discuss the offer. North Korea reportedly wanted to discuss details of any aid only via written communication.

North and South Korea technically remain at war following their 1950s conflict. Relations between the two are often troubled, with South Korea arguing that its northern neighbour routinely lashes out without provocation.

If accepted, the aid would be the first sent from South Korea to the North since North Korea saw a change in leadership in late 2011, when Kim Jong Un took over the country's leadership from his father.

Since then, North Korea has frequently threatened its southern neighbour with violence.

According to North Korean media reports, more than 200 people have died in flooding and amid a major tropical storm this summer. More than 200,000 lost their homes and more than 200,000 hectares of cropland were destroyed.

North Korea has frequently relied upon international aid in recent years as it reels from a combination of natural disasters and economic mismanagement.