A South Korean official traveled to North Korea Friday to help monitor the distribution of aid.

It is the first time the North has allowed a South Korean official to travel to the isolated country to monitor aid since a conservative government took power in Seoul in 2008.

The Unification Ministry official and four aid workers will inspect three facilities, including a children's day-care center, to ensure that 300 tons of flour aid reaches the intended recipients.

The delegation is expected to return to Seoul on Tuesday.