A US ship carrying thousands of tons of food arrived in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after the nation agreed to open up to greatly expanded international aid, the UN food agency said yesterday.

The World Food Program said the freighter arrived on Sunday carrying 37,000 tons of wheat, the first installment of 500,000 tons in assistance promised by Washington.

The US aid was not directly related to the ongoing nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang, and US officials have repeatedly claimed they do not use food for diplomatic coercion.