S.Korea ready to support N.Korea suffering drought: minister

South Korea said it is willing to support North Korea as the North has been suffering from drought.

Unification Minister Hong Yong-Pyo said in a press briefing on Wednesday that although both Koreas are suffering drought, Seoul is ready to provide aid to the North if its situation is tougher.

Hong also expressed regret over the North's cancellation of its plan to take part in next month's Summer Universiade in Gwangju.

North Korea has abruptly announced it will skip the Universiade in protest against the establishment on Tuesday of a field office of the U.N. human rights body in Seoul to look into Pyongyang's human rights violations.

The North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification said in a statement that "South Korean President Park Geun-Hye will have to take responsibility for all the ensuing catastrophic consequences in inter-Korean relations."