South Korean aid groups sent more than 200 tons of rice to North Korea's flood victims on Friday, amid signs of easing tensions on the peninsula.

Scores of political and social groups, including the Democratic Labor Party, collected and sent rice to the North.

[Kang Ki-gap, Democratic Labor Party Member]: (gender male , Korean)
"This rice aid will open the road to reunification and peace on the Korean peninsula, and thaw relations between North and South Korea."

Nine trucks containing bags of rice left for the demilitarized zone dividing North and South Korea.

[Choi Chang-joon, Democratic Labor Party Member]: (gende rmale, Korean)
"As you know, 203 tons of rice are on the way to North Korea. Each grain of rice implies our farmers' ardent wish for peace and reunification on the Korean peninsula despite tensions between the two countries."

North Korean residents reportedly suffered from floods in July and August.

On Thursday, South Korea allowed its aid groups to send 530 tons of flour to the North.

South Korea's Red Cross announced on Monday that it would send 5,000 tons of rice and 10,000 tons of cement to help the North cope with the flood aftermath.

Last week, North Korea asked the South for rice aid and construction equipment following severe flooding this year. Seoul offered to provide $8.5 million in emergency aid - including food, relief materials and first-aid kits.

The two Koreas have been in a standoff since Seoul accused Pyongyang of torpedoing one of its warships in March, killing 46 sailors. The North denies the charge.

North and South Korea are still technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce without a peace treaty.