SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- Three private aid groups were given approval for their plans to send aid goods to North Korea, Seoul's Unification Ministry said Monday.

The ministry said it gave permission to three small private groups, including "Toward Peace in Korea," to ship a total of 200 million won (US$181,077) worth of food, nutritional supplements and other aid goods to nurseries and hospitals in the North.