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North Korean leader visited China for the third time this year on June 19. A car assumed to be transporting Kim is seeing leaving China Capital International Airport on the morning of June 19. The motorcade included two vehicles marked with the gold insignia that‘s assumed to be Kim‘s official mark. (Yonhap News)

The state-run China Central Television (CCTV) has reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is visiting China for one night and two days. This is Kim's third visit to China this year, following a stay in March.

In a breaking news bulletin on its mobile app, CCTV reported on the morning of June 19 that "Chairman Kim Jong-un of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will be visiting China from June 19-20." The report came directly after Air Kyoro special flight JS251, which Kim is assumed to have boarded, landed in Beijing after departing from Pyongyang. It is unprecedented for Chinese media to immediately confirm the arrival of a North Korean leader. For past visits, it was normal for Chinese officials and state-run media to confirm visits from North Korea once the North Korean leaders were already on their way back home.

The cargo plane Illyushin (IL)-76, which is assumed to have transported Kim’s official vehicle, arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport's terminal for state visits on the same day. This is the same aircraft as Air Koryo's special flight Antonov (An)-148, which Kim Jong-un was captured piloting by North Korean media. Media images also showed a car assumed to be transporting Kim leaving the airport shortly afterward.

A procession of cars assumed to be escorting Kim was seen passing through Jianguomen, a crossroads that leads directly into inner-city Beijing, around 10:35 am. The was motorcade led by 15 police officers on motorbikes and comprised over 20 passenger vehicles and over 10 buses. It was seen proceeding along Chang'an Avenue, heading toward Tiananmen Square. At the front was a car that looked similar in appearance to one identified as Kim's escort vehicle. The procession appeared to be passing through Tiananmen Square to the Great Hall of the People and the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

The Nikkei, a Japanese paper, had also reported earlier on the same day that Kim was visiting China to push for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Nikkei reported that various sources indicated that Kim was expected to land in Beijing on June 19 at the earliest. The paper also indicated that Kim was visiting Beijing to earn China's support and to negotiate the easing of sanctions against North Korea in exchange for its commitments to denuclearization outlined in the joint statement of the North Korea-US summit.

Before the North Korea-US summit, Kim visited the port city of Dalian from May 7-8 for talks with Xi. Kim also traveled to Beijing for talks with Xi in March. This is the first time a North Korean leader has been so diplomatically active, visiting China three times in a span of four months.

A car assumed to be transporting Kim is seeing leaving China Capital International Airport on the morning of June 19.

By Kim Oi-hyun, Beijing correspondent

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