Unconfirmed reports circulated on Monday that the travel-averse North Korean
Unconfirmed reports circulated on Monday that the travel-averse North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be visiting China.
Speculation swirled after video footage surfaced that appeared to show the arrival in Beijing of a green train carriage of the sort Kim’s late father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il, rode when he visited the capital in 2011.
The South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing a Japanese report, said Monday that a “high-ranking North Korean official” was visiting China ahead of summits with South Korean and American leaders.
Citing three unnamed sources, Bloomberg later reported that Kim himself was making the visit. It would be his first overseas trip since taking power in 2011.
Asked about the rumors during a news briefing on Monday, White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said he couldn’t confirm the reports.
“I don’t know if they’re necessarily true,” Shah told reporters .
