"We will hold off" on plans to send 100,000 tons of fertilizer to the North (DPRK), Yonhap quoted a high-level government official as saying.

"In addition, we will hold off on providing 500,000 tons of rice," said the official, who requested anonymity. "This will continue until there is an exit out of the missile problem."

The ROK, however, announced it would hold ministerial talks with the DPRK as scheduled next week, the first high-level contact with Pyongyang since the July 4 tests.