Officials of the red cross societies from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Japan started meeting on humanitarian issues at the Japanese embassy in Beijing on December 19, according to an official from the embassy.

The DPRK delegation is led by Ho Hae Ryong, vice-chairman of the North Korean Red Cross Society, and the Japanese delegation by Tadateru Konoe, the Japanese society's vice-president.

Talks to normalize diplomatic ties between the two countries will begin tomorrow in Beijing, according to the official.