By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
A senior official of China's Community Party is scheduled to visit North Korea early next week amid reports that Pyongyang may return to the six-party denuclearization talks soon, Yonhap News Agency said Friday.
Wang Jiarui, the head of the party's international department, is expected to arrive in Pyongyang Monday or Tuesday and meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, Yonhap said, quoting unidentified diplomatic sources in Beijing.
Wang's trip to Pyongyang can be seen as part of a regular exchange of visits for New Year's greetings, but it may bring significant changes to the stalled six-party talks, a source was quoted as saying.
His visit, if realized, comes after the communist state announced it would return to the talks involving the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.
Wang may also discuss Kim's possible visit to China in the near future, North Korea watchers said.
North Korea has boycotted the nuclear negotiations since late 2008, but its leader told Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao last year that his country may return to the talks following bilateral dialogue with the United States.
Stephen Bosworth, special U.S. representative for North Korea policy, visited Pyongyang in December, but the North has yet to declare its return to the six-party talks.
Observers said they believe Pyongyang will return to negotiations following Kim's anticipated trip to China to win economic concessions from its communist ally.
The North Korean leader was widely expected to visit Beijing at the beginning of the year, but the sources said a trip was only possible after an invitation from the Chinese Communist Party.