Doubt About NK’s High-Ranking Official Visit to China

On November 28, Tokyo Shimbun, quoting the remarks of a Chinese official, reported that a high-ranking North Korean official may have visited Beijing, China on Thursday by train. Because of the temporary restriction placed against walking by the train from Pyongyang as it pulled into Beijing Station, and an improvised curfew on the downtown in the afternoon of that day, this daily presumed that a high-ranked North Korean official may have been aboard the train.

The South Korean embassy in Beijing looked on the possible North Korean official aboard the train not as North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, since the train was for normal passengers and Chinese security on this official was relatively loose, Tokyo Shimbun added.

Kim has informally visited China twice so far by special train in January 2001 and May 2000. According to this doubt, another source in Beijing said, “I have heard that four or five representatives of the Democratic Frontier of National Unification, presided by chief Cho Kyu-il, who is also one of the executives of People’s Supreme Committee of North Korea, have visited Beijing through Dandung in order to discuss cooperative measures with China.”

Hun-Joo Cho hanscho@donga.com