North Korean Officials Sent to China for Possible Kim Visit

(Bloomberg) -- North Korea sent a group of working-level officials to Dandong, China, last week to prepare for a possible visit by its leader Kim Jong Un, according to South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo.

“It won’t be surprising if Kim visits China soon,” a person familiar with North Korean issues was quoted by the newspaper as saying. An unnamed South Korean official told the newspaper that the country is watching closely for a possible surprise visit to China by Kim.

The report comes as the U.S. and North Korea are set to meet this weekend in Stockholm for formal nuclear negotiations. The working-level talks will be the first in about eight months and come as North Korea has been pushing the Trump administration to ease sanctions choking its economy, while increasing its bargaining leverage through military provocations.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kanga Kong in Seoul at kkong50@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shamim Adam at sadam2@bloomberg.net, Jeff Sutherland, Virginia Van Natta

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