hankyoreh

By Kwon Hyeok-cheol 　　

South Korean authorities reportedly confirmed that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il made a visit to China on Thursday. This unexpected visit fell just three months and 20 days after he visited China last from May 3 to 7, when he met with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

A high-ranking Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential office in South Korea or Blue House) official said Kim’s personal train was confirmed to have passed through Manpo, in North Korea’s Jagang Province, at midnight Wednesday and made its way to Jian, in China’s Jilin province. He also said there was no confirmation Kim was on the train, however.

During each of Kim’s previous five visits to China since becoming the leader of North Korea, he had used the Shinuiju-Dandong route. Thursday’s route is unprecedented.

Jian City residents say Kim’s party visited Yuwen Middle School in downtown Jian in the morning. The school is “revolutionary holy ground” for North Korea, having been attended by Kim Il-sung from 1927 to 1930. In the old school building, there is a Kim Il-sung memorial library and a statue of Kim. Whether Kim Jong-un, who has reportedly been designated his father’s successor, was in attendance has yet to be confirmed.

Greater interest is focusing on the visit since it comes prior to the convening of a Workers Party of Korea(WPK) meeting of party representatives early next month. Experts are paying attention to the connection between the two since prior conferences have marked turning points in modern North Korean history. The conferences, held in March 1958 and October 1966, have been used to officially clarify the political, diplomatic and economic policies that have formed the framework of the North Korean system.

It has been 44 years since the convening of the last meeting. The major point of interest in the upcoming meeting is whether Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-il’s third son, will be given a key position with the WPK. This is why experts are interested to see whether the son is accompanying his father to China and drawing connections with North Korea‘s power succession.

If Kim receives a major party position during the conference, such as a spot in the Politburo or a position as secretary, this would mean North Korea is making official, both with and outside of North Korea, its “succession system.” Kim Jong-il was also officially made successor during the sixth party conference, when he was named to the Politburo, a party secretary and a member of the Central Military Commission.

North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) reported Thursday that city and country party conferences were held prior to the upcoming national one. During the local conferences, representatives to be sent to the provincial conferences were elected. During the provincial elections, the representatives to be sent to the national party conference, to be held early next month, will finally be decided.

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