South Korean officials say Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao confirmed Sunday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is in his country to study its dramatic economic development.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s office says the Chinese leader made his comments to Mr. Lee during a meeting on the sidelines of a tripartite summit with Japan in Tokyo.
It is the first official confirmation of the Kim visit, which began on Friday, when his special train rolled across the border.
South Korean media reports say the North Korean leader is currently in the tourist spot of Yangzhou, near the industrial city of Shanghai. His itinerary has been kept secret.
Earlier, the North Korean leader stopped in the industrial center of Changchun in northeastern China.
Trips by Mr. Kim are always shrouded in secrecy. The state-run North Korean media usually report on the visits only after he returns home.
This current visit to China is at least Mr. Kim’s third in a little more than a year.
