SEOUL, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The South Korea's Red Cross said Friday that South Korea will start shipping fertilizer to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) later this month as humanitarian aid.

    "We will send fertilizer aid to the North (DPRK) from March 27.It will take about three months to complete the whole process, which will consist of about 50 separate shipments," said Han Wan-sang, president of the Korean Red Cross.

    Chang Chae-on, president of DPRK's Red Cross, had sent a fax message to Han to request for 300,000 tons of fertilizer, the South Korean Unification Ministry confirmed on Friday.

    The fertilizer will be sent to DPRK in late March or early April, the ministry said.

    According to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, DPRK requested 400,000 tons of rice and 300,000 tons of fertilizer in aid this year during the latest Cabinet-level meeting in March.

    South Korea has suspended its humanitarian assistance to DPRK since October last year when DPRK conducted nuclear tests despite Seoul's strong opposition.