A government health agency said Monday that they will redouble their efforts to tighten control over food safety for the World Cup finals. The measures come in the wake of 53 Japanese tourists who were diagnosed over the weekend as having food poisoning. The tourists were staying at a hotel in the capital city and had dined at a restaurant in the Seoul's tourist spot of Itaewon. The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said that they had been operating a joint task force with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and other related organizations since January to prevent incidents involving problematic food being sold on the market. They said that they were investigating the hotel and restaurant for signs of any lapses in sanitary procedures. Authorities conceded that they were concerned that the food poisoning incident would have an adverse effect on the country's attempts to attract foreigners during the World Cup. They also conceded that with warmer weather approaching, there may be further cases of food poisoning if restaurants and catering services did not follow regulations.