Senior Chinese official Wang visiting N. Korea: state media

(ATTN: ADDS background, analyst view, MODIFIES lead)
SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Yonhap) -- A senior Chinese official, Wang Jiarui, is visiting
North Korea, Pyongyang's television station said Wednesday, in a closely watched
trip coinciding with the inauguration of the new U.S. administration.
Wang's visit also raises the possibility North Korean leader Kim Jong-il may
appear to greet a foreign guest for the first time since he reportedly suffered a
stroke last summer.
"A delegation from the international liason department of the central committee
of China's Communist Party, headed by department chief Wang Jiarui, arrived in
Pyongyang on Jan. 21" and was greeted by Beijing's envoy to Pyongyang, the Korean
Central Television said in a two-sentence statement. It did not elaborate on the
schedule or purpose of his rare visit.
Wang's arrival comes at a very sensitive time in North Korea. Pyongyang has been
waiting for the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama as an opportunity to
start anew with Washington and push forward a stalled aid-for-denuclearization
deal. The North's official Korean Central News Agency quickly announced Obama's
inauguration on Wednesday evening, less than 24 hours after the ceremony.
Wang has met the reclusive leader on most of his previous visits, which usually
coincided with important events in North Korea. He met with Kim in January 2004,
shortly before Kim's rare visit to China, and in February 2005, shortly after
North Korea declared its possession of nuclear weapons.
"Considering his high-level position, it is possible for Wang to meet Chairman
Kim Jong-il," Paik Hak-soon, a senior fellow with Sejong Institute, an
independent think tank in Seoul, said.
"There is speculation about Kim's health, but what is more important is the
timing of Wang's visit. He is expected to deliver Beijing's message -- that it is
much more optimistic with the Obama administration than Bush's, and that it'd be
in North Korea's interest to cooperate in the nuclear negotiations," Paik said.
In his swearing-in ceremony, the new U.S. president vowed to "work tirelessly to
lessen the nuclear threat" with allies and foes.
Obama said during his election campaign that he is willing to meet the North
Korean leader to help terminate the North's nuclear weapons program. He will also
continue the six-party talks while seeking more direct engagement with North
Korea.
In a foreign ministry statement last week, North Korea said it will "feel no need
to keep nuclear weapons" when the U.S. nuclear threat is removed.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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