The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Japan started preliminary talks on normalization of diplomatic ties at the Japanese embassy in Beijing Tuesday afternoon, according to a Japanese diplomat.

The Japanese delegation is led by Anami Koreshige, director general of the Asian Affairs Division of Japanese Foreign Ministry, and the DPRK delegation by Oh Woollok, director general of the 14th Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of DPRK, according to information from the Japanese embassy. (Xinhua)