The U.S. government is planning to decide by the end of this month whether to resume its provision of food aid to North Korea.

A source in Congress said that related agencies within the U.S. administration are holding discussions on the matter and are likely to reach a final decision in one or two weeks.

The source said that if the provision of food assistance is delayed for an extensive time, the effects that could come from delivering the aid could be reduced. The source noted that as the North has already entered the spring austerity season, it would take around one or two months until the actual delivery of food aid is made to the impoverished state.

The source stressed that it remains a challenge for Washington to address South Korea’s concerns that the food aid could be diverted to the North’s military and Seoul’s claims that the North has exaggerated its food shortage situation.