North Korean Kim Jong-un leader is still in Beijing this morning after accepting an invitation to travel there from Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The leaders held their fourth summit in less than a year on Tuesday as speculation rises that this could be the precursor for a second meeting between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump. Lee Seung-jae reports.
The special train carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju pulled into a locked down Beijing train station on Tuesday morning.
There, Kim and his entourage headed straight to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in the Chinese capital for his fourth summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Citing a source, Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reports the two leaders talked for about an hour.
They are said to have discussed efforts to coordinate strategies ahead of Kim's possible second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Yonhap added the two leaders may have also discussed ways to strengthen their bilateral ties.
After the summit, Kim and his wife attended a dinner hosted by the Chinese leader and the First Lady at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency said the North Korean leader was accompanied by party, government and military officials, including Kim Yong-chol,... a key nuclear negotiator with the U.S.,... and Ri Yong-ho and No Kwang-chol,... the regime's foreign and defense ministers.
The KCNA also revealed footage of Kim Yo-jong,... Kim Jong-un's sister who was seen among the group leaving for China.
Experts say Kim Jong-un's trip to China may be intended to demonstrate to the world that North Korea-China relations remain strong,... and could also reflect the North's will to project the image of a normal state.
Experts add Kim's trip to Beijing could be followed by a visit to Seoul for a fourth summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in or a second summit with President Trump as early as February.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.