A motorcade believed to be carrying a North Korean delegation makes its way along Beijing’s
main east-west thoroughfare, Changan Avenue, in Beijing, China, Tuesday. / Yonhap
North Korea’s efforts to improve frayed ties with China bode well for the upcoming inter-Korean summit next month, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday, following reports that a ranking North Korean official, possibly even leader Kim Jong-un, may have arrived in Beijing via train.
Some news outlets showed footage of a North Korean train that arrived in Beijing, Monday. The train looked identical to the one that Kim Jong-il, the late father of Kim Jong-un, used when visiting China before he passed away in 2011.
“We view the move as the regime’s attempt to enhance relations with China, and this is seen as a positive signal at a time when the North plans to hold a summit with the South and the United States,” an official from the presidential office told reporters.
The official said the government is paying special attention to all possibilities that could take place in Beijing.
Kim Jong-Un
“But nothing specific has been confirmed over who is visiting Beijing,” said the official. “We have recognized and kept a close watch on the rare move from the North for a few days, but have so far failed to identify who the regime sent.”
The rare move from Pyongyang comes amid chilly relations between Pyongyang and Beijing, with the latter joining international sanctions calling for the regime to stop its nuclear and missile threats for good.
For this reason, critics have said that North Korea may be seeking to extend its ongoing peace momentum into China. Starting this year, Pyongyang has ceased all nuclear and missile tests, with the North Korean leader showing a strong willingness to keep his peace momentum moving forward by offering to hold dialogue with his South Korean and U.S. counterparts.
With the footage going viral, media speculation is growing over whether Kim is in Beijing. Since taking office in 2011, the North Korean leader has not made any public appearances abroad.
Some reports claim that his younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, may have visited on his behalf, seeking to get Beijng-Pyongyang relations back on track.
White House spokesman Raj Shah declined to confirm details on whether the North Korean leader is making a Beijing visit, only noting that the U.S.-driven international pressure on the regime has “brought the North to the dialogue table.”
Last month, Kim Jong-un offered President Moon Jae-in a summit in Pyongyang, on the sidelines of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Kim then extended the peace momentum to the U.S., with both parties set to hold dialogue sometime in May to resolve a series of pending issues, such as the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
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