N. Korea’s Kim Visited Beijing, Diplomat Says

In his first known foreign trip in 17 years, North Korean ruler Kim Jong Il conferred with Chinese leaders about his upcoming summit with South Korea during a three-day secret visit to Beijing, a diplomat said today.

The visit was believed to be the highest-level exchange between the two communist countries in at least six years and marked North Korea’s reaching out to its once-close ally. In two weeks, Kim is scheduled to hold a summit with South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, the first between the rival countries.

Kim Jong Il arrived Monday and left Wednesday, traveling from and to North Korea by special train, said the Beijing-based diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity. He met Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Premier Zhu Rongji and other Chinese leaders, the diplomat said.

The diplomat said Kim came to speak to Chinese leaders about the June 12-14 summit and to show his commitment to relations with China.

The South Korean news agency Yonhap said the two sides agreed that Jiang would visit Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, this year; the diplomat could not confirm that.

Kim also visited the Chinese computer firm Legend on Tuesday, apparently displaying an interest in high technology and the Internet, the diplomat said. Legend executives said they knew nothing about the visit.