North Korean government, administrative, military and related industry officials receive priority in food rations, according to media sources in the country, as a U.N. aid agency claims ordinary citizens are given less than a third of the recommended nutritional diet.

North Koreans were only given 200 grams of daily rations in July, according to the World Food Programme, as quoted by Voice of America.

“The WFP is constantly worried about the insufficient amount of rations given through the North’s distribution system,” said WFP Spokesperson Nanna Skau.

According to the WFP, July’s rations were half that of April, but an increase from the 190 grams given in May and the 150 grams given in June.

According to the U.N. food agency, a healthy adult requires about 700 grams of daily rations for a balanced diet.

“Recently the rations distributed in the North have been supplied by foreign grains,” said Skau.

“We believe that 100,000 tons of grain have been imported from China.”

However according to journalists within the reclusive nation, military, police, party, administrative officials and mine officials and personnel are given priority in rations.

According to the state-run think tank Sejong Institute, chief editor and publisher for the Asia Press Ishimaru Jiro presented information from the North during a policy symposium here.

“Kim Jung-il is pleading the international community for food aid because they lack the food to distribute to the more privileged classes, so if the international community were to deliver aid, the North Korean government would distribute rations to the priority classes first,” said an inside source as quoted by Ishimaru.

The Asia Press publishes the Rimjin-gang, a magazine on internal affairs of North Korea.

Ishimaru analysis suggests that the priority class makes up roughly 20 percent of the entire population.

By Robert Lee (robert@heraldcorp.com)