unification ministry-N Korea

SEOUL, Nov. 9 (Yonhap) -- A senior North Korean ruling party official's recent visit to Beijing appeared to be intended to share the outcome of last month's key Chinese party meeting and maintain high-level exchanges between the two countries, Seoul's unification ministry said Monday.

Yoon Min-ho, the ministry's spokesperson, made the assessment during a press briefing after Kim Song-nam, a member of the Political Bureau of the Workers' Party of Korea and a party secretary, visited China from Tuesday to Saturday, during which he met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other senior officials.

"(We) believe that the primary purpose of Kim Song-nam's trip to China this time is to share the results of the fifth plenary session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and maintain high-level exchanges," Yoon said.

"But we will continue monitoring relevant developments with various possibilities in mind," he added.

Yoon was responding to a reporter's question about whether the North Korean official's visit was meant for bilateral consultations over the possible resumption of dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang.

The spokesperson noted that the North Korean official's trip came just 10 days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to the Chinese border city of Dandong, saying the trip showed bilateral relations developing into "strategic" ones.

While in China, the North's party official held talks with Liu Haixing, head of the CPC International Department, and Cai Qi, the fifth-ranking member of the CPC.

His trip came amid continuing speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump could explore opportunities to resume summitry with the North Korean leader, possibly during his upcoming trip to Asia for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit slated to take place in Shenzhen, China, next week.

Commenting on a report that a vice chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly, the North's rubber-stamp parliament, had been dismissed at a presidium meeting Thursday, Yoon said the ministry is monitoring related developments while keeping in mind the possibility that Vice Chairman Ri Son-kwon might have been removed.

Ri was thought to have been dismissed as the assembly has two vice chairmen: Kim Hyong-sik and Ri. Kim presided over the meeting last week, according to North Korean state media.

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