The World Food Programme (WFP) has learned that North Korea likely intends to reject a planned food aid package from the South Korean government, the Ministry of Unification (MOU) confirmed on Wednesday.

In a move reportedly intended as a protest against an upcoming joint U.S.-ROK military drill, the admission sees Seoul confirm earlier reports in local newspaper the Kyunghyang Shinmun that Pyongyang has “expressed its intent to refuse to receive 50,000 tons of domestic rice.”

That report also suggested the North’s reported rejection may be linked to its having already overcome ongoing food shortages following renewed help from the international