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By Park Byong-su, Senior Staff Writer and Park Min-hee, Beijing Correspondent

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il reportedly visited China Friday, rejecting earlier reports of his heir-apparent son’s single travel to the country. Although Kim Jong-un’ company has yet to be confirmed, he is not likely to accompany, officials of South Korean government said.

According to the officials, a special train appeared carrying Kim Jong-il arrived in China via Tumen, a northeastern border city, at 7 a.m. Friday. A man believed to be Kim Jong-il was witnessed at the Holiday Inn in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province, northeastern China, and he reportedly left there around 9 p.m. The trip marks the third in one year or so, including early May and late August last year.

Observers said Kim’s visit to the northeastern China again after ‘Northern Tour’ last August is showing his firm determination to ride the tide of China’s northeast China development in order to develop North Korea’s economy. This time, he is expected to reverse the routes he took in August.

Tumen and Changchun, possible Kim’s next stop, are central cities in the Changchun-Jilin-Tumen River Pilot Development and Opening Zone, which China has been actively pursuing at the central government level since last year. Kim previously discussed linking northeast Chinese development with North Korea’s economic development at a May meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. In addition, a groundbreaking ceremony is reportedly to be held on May 30 for a highway linking the North Korea cities of Wonjong and Rason (Rajin-Sonbong), bordering directly on Quanhe in Hunchun, Jilin Province in the middle of a number of leaders from both countries attended including Vice-Chairman of the National Defence Commission Jang Song-thaek, Kim Jong-un’s guardian.

Kim’s push to strengthen relations between the two countries appears to be closely related to recent situations surrounding the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. government has prepared to resume food aid to North Korea as its Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Robert King will reportedly visit Pyongyang as early as on May 24, leading a fact finding mission to assess the food situation in the North Korea.

However, South Korea still did not make significant headway toward resuming inter-Korean talks and the six-party talks, although South Korean President presented his will to invite Kim Jong-il to a nuclear summit in Seoul next year on condition.

“Kim’s visit to China is also interpreted to put a roundabout pressure on stalled inter-Korean relation,” said professor Kim Yong-hyun of Dongguk University.

Yang Moo Jin, professor of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said that Kim’s gesture of reinforcing North Korea-China economic relation appeared to have an aim to stimulate South Korea to recover inter-Korean economic cooperation.

There are some observers speculating Kim may try a last-ditch effort for policy coordination with China before responding to Lee’s call to hold inter-Korean nuclear talks.

Meanwhile, South Korean government officials observe it seems unlikely that Kim Jung-un accompanied his father, since the junior Kim’s name was not on an official list of an around 70-member delegation and Kim Jong-il’s Private Train has been used for this trip.

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