A ship carrying 2,830 tonnes of steel plates worth 2.2 billion won (2.3 million dollars) will leave the southeastern port of Pohang for Nampo on the North's west coast on Friday, the ministry said in a statement.

"Administrative procedures to provide the North with the remaining aid, of energy facilities and materials, are now underway. The government plans to complete the shipment by the end of June," it said.

Yonhap news agency said the remaining aid from South Korea amounts to some 27,800 tonnes of steel, including the 2,830 tonnes to be shipped this week.

"The government will do its utmost to help resolve the North's nuclear issue. It hopes North Korea will implement denuclearisation measures at an early date as agreed at the six-party talks," said the ministry, which handles relations with the energy-starved communist state

The plates will be used to repair power plants, a ministry official said.

South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia agreed to provide the North with 950,000 tonnes of oil or equivalent energy assistance, as part of a nuclear disarmament deal.

But Japan refuses to deliver its share until the North accounts for what happened to Japanese kidnapped during the Cold War years.

The North, which has limited storage capacity, wants about half the total aid in oil and the rest in equivalent aid. South Korea sent the first shipment of some 5,000 tonnes of steel plates last December.

The announcement came as North Korea's top nuclear envoy arrived in Beijing Tuesday and reportedly held talks with his US counterpart Christopher Hill on ending a deadlock in the six-party process.

The North was supposed to disable its main atomic plants and list all its nuclear programmes by December 31.

North Korea has said it submitted a list in November. But the United States said it is still waiting for a complete declaration, including a full accounting of a suspected covert uranium enrichment programme.

The North has been slowing down disablement work in protest at what it says are delays by negotiators in meeting their end of the deal.