North Korea is making final preparations for the funeral of its leader Kim Jong-il.

The funeral, expected to gather hundreds of thousands of mourners, is due to take place over Wednesday and Thursday in the capital Pyongyang.

Against the backdrop of the nation's mourning, China and South Korea have expressed hope that stalled talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons will resume.

Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett reports from Seoul.
Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett reports from Seoul.