The World Food Program (WFP) will deploy Korean-speaking officials to North Korea to monitor the distribution of international food aid.

Monday's Washington Post quoted the U.N. food agency’s Regional Director for Asia Tony Banbury as saying that the WFP will be allowed to deploy monitors who speak Korean to check that food goes to needy civilians.

The move would mark the first time for the food agency to deploy Korean-speaking officials since it began operations in the impoverished state in the mid-1990s.

The recent measures are expected to raise the effectiveness of the distribution of food aid. In the past, there have been widespread reports that donated food was diverted to the North Korean army and to people with government connections.

Banbury added that the number of WFP staff based inside North Korea will expand from the current ten to 59, the largest number to date.

The staff will be working in 128 regions, including seven sensitive areas where U.N. staff had not previously been allowed.