Story highlights "Within my memory...there was never ever such a high-level visit," expert says

Head of North's military, two other ruling party leaders attend sports event

They also meet with South Korean officials, who give them a warm welcome

Kim Jong Un has been out of sight for weeks; officials say he is "suffering from discomfort"

With Kim Jong Un out of sight for a month, three North Korean officials popped down to South Korea for a last-minute visit Saturday.

And they delivered a diplomatic bonbon.

The three officials told South Korea that Pyongyang is willing to hold a new round of high-level meetings between late October and early November, South Korea's Unification Ministry said in a statement Saturday.

"Within my memory ... there was never ever such a high-level visit. Never," said North Korea analyst Andrei Lankov, from Seoul's Kookmin University.

Lankov said two of the three visitors "are essentially number two and number three in North Korean official hierarchy."

Right behind Kim, the "Dear Leader" himself.

Short notice, extensive media coverage

It was a sudden "charm offensive," Lankov said.

And it caused a media flurry, with South Korean television network YTN following the delegation's moves via extensive live coverage.

The three gave Seoul short notice on Friday that they were dropping in officially to attend Saturday's closing ceremonies of the Asian Games in the port city of Incheon.

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The South granted permission the same day to Hwang Pyong-so, vice marshal of the Korean People's Army, Kim Yang-gon and Choe Ryong-hae.

Kim Yang-gon is one of North Korea's top politicians responsible for dealings with the South.

Choe is the former head of the military but was replaced in May, triggering some speculation in the international press that he may have fallen out of favor with Kim Jong Un. But South Korean analysts say that he remains extremely influential.

He holds a seat as secretary on the Workers' Party's Central Committee, Pyongyang's highest decision-making body, and commands preeminent authority over civilian affairs.

Choe is also chairman of the Sports Guidance Commission.

The officials' Asian Games appearance was followed by a lunch with South Korean officials, and Seoul's reunification minister greeted the North Koreans at their hotel.

The delegation met with the South's national security chief, Kim Kwan-jin, and later with Prime Minister Chung Hong-won.

Speculation on Kim's absence

Kim Jong Un has been conspicuously absent even from important state events, and Pyongyang officials have said Kim is "suffering from discomfort." The last times he was seen publicly, he had gained weight and developed a limp.

He missed the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea's Parliament. A prominent seat remained empty onstage, surrounded by North Korea's top brass.

Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with North Korea's first female fighter jet pilots in this undated photo released by the country's state media on Monday, June 22. He called the women "heroes of Korea" and "flowers of the sky." Hide Caption 1 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim stands on the snow-covered top of Mount Paektu in North Korea in a photo taken by North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun on April 18 and released the next day by South Korean news agency Yonhap. Kim scaled the country's highest mountain, North Korean state-run media reported, arriving at the summit to tell soldiers that the hike provides mental energy more powerful than nuclear weapons. Hide Caption 2 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim Jong Un, center, poses with soldiers on the snow-covered top of Mount Paektu in an April 18 photo released by South Korean news agency Yonhap. Hide Caption 3 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim visits the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, North Korea, on April 15 to celebrate the 103rd birth anniversary of his grandfather, North Korean founder Kim Il Sung. Hide Caption 4 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim inspects a drill for seizing an island at an undisclosed location in North Korea in an undated picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on February 21. Hide Caption 5 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim speaks during a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo released February 19 by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. Hide Caption 6 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military A picture released by the North Korean Central News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appearing without his cane at an event with military commanders in Pyongyang on Tuesday, November 4. Kim, who recently disappeared from public view for about six weeks, had a cyst removed from his right ankle, a lawmaker told CNN. Hide Caption 7 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim is seen walking with a cane in this image released Thursday, October 30, by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. Hide Caption 8 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim sits in the pilot's seat of a fighter jet during the inspection. Hide Caption 9 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military This undated photo, released Tuesday, October 14, by the KCNA, shows Kim inspecting a housing complex in Pyongyang, North Korea. International speculation about Kim went into overdrive after he failed to attend events on Friday, October 10, the 65th anniversary of the Workers' Party. He hadn't been seen in public since he reportedly attended a concert with his wife on September 3. Hide Caption 10 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military A picture released by the KCNA shows Kim and his wife watching a performance by the Moranbong Band on Wednesday, September 3, in Pyongyang. Hide Caption 11 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim tours a front-line military unit in this image released Wednesday, July 16, by the KCNA. Hide Caption 12 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim poses for a photo as he oversees a tactical rocket-firing drill in June. Hide Caption 13 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim watches a tactical rocket-firing drill in June. Hide Caption 14 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military A North Korean soldier patrols the bank of the Yalu River, which separates the North Korean town of Sinuiju from the Chinese border town of Dandong, on Saturday, April 26. Hide Caption 15 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military In this photo released Thursday, April 24, by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim smiles with female soldiers after inspecting a rocket-launching drill at an undisclosed location. Hide Caption 16 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military A picture released Tuesday, March 18, by the KCNA shows Kim attending a shooting practice at a military academy in Pyongyang. Hide Caption 17 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military A North Korean soldier uses binoculars on Thursday, February 6, to look at South Korea from the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War. Hide Caption 18 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military A North Korean soldier kicks a pole along the banks of the Yalu River on Tuesday, February 4. Hide Caption 19 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military A photo released by the KCNA on Thursday, January 23, shows the North Korean leader inspecting an army unit during a winter drill. Hide Caption 20 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim inspects the command of an army unit in this undated photo released Sunday, January 12, by the KCNA. Hide Caption 21 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim visits an army unit in this undated photo. Hide Caption 22 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim inspects a military factory in this undated picture released by the KCNA in May 2013. Hide Caption 23 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim visits the Ministry of People's Security in 2013 as part of the country's May Day celebrations. Hide Caption 24 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military A North Korean soldier, near Sinuiju, gestures to stop photographers from taking photos in April 2013. Hide Caption 25 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military North Korean soldiers patrol near the Yalu River in April 2013. Hide Caption 26 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim is briefed by his generals in this undated photo. On the wall is a map titled "Plan for the strategic forces to target mainland U.S." Hide Caption 27 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim works during a briefing in this undated photo. Hide Caption 28 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military In this KCNA photo, Kim inspects naval drills at an undisclosed location on North Korea's east coast in March 2013. Hide Caption 29 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim, with North Korean soldiers, makes his way to an observation post in March 2013. Hide Caption 30 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim uses a pair of binoculars to look south from the Jangjae Islet Defense Detachment, near South Korea's Taeyonphyong Island, in March 2013. Hide Caption 31 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim is greeted by a soldier's family as he inspects the Jangjae Islet Defense Detachment in March 2013. Hide Caption 32 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim is surrounded by soldiers during a visit to the Mu Islet Hero Defense Detachment, also near Taeyonphyong Island, in March 2013. Hide Caption 33 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim arrives at Jangjae Islet by boat to meet with soldiers of the Jangjae Islet Defense Detachment in March 2013. Hide Caption 34 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Soldiers in the North Korean army train at an undisclosed location in March 2013. Hide Caption 35 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military In a photo released by the official North Korean news agency in December 2012, Kim celebrates a rocket's launch with staff from the satellite control center in Pyongyang. Hide Caption 36 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim, center, poses in this undated picture released by North Korea's official news agency in November 2012. Hide Caption 37 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim visits the Rungna People's Pleasure Ground, under construction in Pyongyang, in a photo released in July 2012 by the KCNA. Hide Caption 38 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military A crowd watches as statues of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il are unveiled during a ceremony in Pyongyang in April 2012. Hide Caption 39 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military A North Korean soldier stands guard in front of an UNHA III rocket at the Tangachai-ri Space Center in April 2012. Hide Caption 40 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military In April 2012, Pyongyang launched a long-range rocket that broke apart and fell into the sea. Here, the UNHA III rocket is pictured on its launch pad in Tang Chung Ri, North Korea. Hide Caption 41 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military – A closer look at the UNHA III rocket on its launch pad in Tang Chung Ri, North Korea. Hide Caption 42 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military A military vehicle participates in a parade in Pyongyang in April 2012. Hide Caption 43 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military North Korean soldiers relax at the end of an official ceremony attended by leader Kim Jong Un at a stadium in Pyongyang in April 2012. Hide Caption 44 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Kim Jong Un applauds as he watches a military parade in Pyongyang in April 2012. Hide Caption 45 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military A North Korean soldier stands on a balcony in Pyongyang in April 2012. Hide Caption 46 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military North Korean soldiers march during a military parade in Pyongyang in April 2012. Hide Caption 47 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Soldiers board a bus outside a theater in Pyongyang in April 2012. Hide Caption 48 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military North Korean performers sit below a screen showing images of leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang in April 2012. Hide Caption 49 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military North Korean soldiers salute during a military parade in Pyongyang in April 2012. Hide Caption 50 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military North Korean soldiers listen to a speech during an official ceremony attended by leader Kim Jong Un at a stadium in Pyongyang in April 2012. Hide Caption 51 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military Members of a North Korean military band gather following an official ceremony at the Kim Il Sung stadium in Pyongyang in April 2012. Hide Caption 52 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military North Korean military personnel watch a performance in Pyongyang in April 2012. Hide Caption 53 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military A North Korean controller is seen along the railway line between the Pyongyang and North Pyongan provinces in April 2012. Hide Caption 54 of 55 Photos: Kim Jong Un and North Korea's military A North Korean military honor guard stands at attention at Pyongyang's airport in May 2001. Hide Caption 55 of 55

Photos: North Korea's political prisons growing? Photos: North Korea's political prisons growing? A labor camp village before ... – A satellite image of a village in the northern part of North Korean political camp 16 (Kwanliso) taken in September 2011. Hide Caption 1 of 13 Photos: North Korea's political prisons growing? ... and after – A year and a half later, in April 2013, the area appears to have undergone change, with new housing being recently added or under construction. The guard post in the immediate vicinity of the village allows for constant supervision of the prisoners and is indicative of the tight security within the political prison camp, says Amnesty International. Hide Caption 2 of 13 Photos: North Korea's political prisons growing? An industrial complex under construction – In June 2010, an image of the political prison camp known as Kwanliso 16 shows a new facility under construction. Hide Caption 3 of 13 Photos: North Korea's political prisons growing? Industrial complex operational, two years on – In November 2012, the industrial facility appears to be operational and new support buildings are visible -- a sign of further investment in mining, agriculture and logging production facilities, according to Amnesty. Hide Caption 4 of 13 Photos: North Korea's political prisons growing? Patrolling the camp – A satellite image shows a checkpoint on the main road. Amnesty International said these images indicate that repression by the North Korean authorities has continued in spite of growing calls for the country to close its political prison camps. Hide Caption 5 of 13 Photos: North Korea's political prisons growing? Housing in 2011 – An administrative area of Kwanliso 16 in May, 2011. Hide Caption 6 of 13 Photos: North Korea's political prisons growing? New housing structures – An image taken in May, 2013 indicates that housing in the area has been razed and reconstructed. Amnesty International said the prisoner population in Kwanliso 16 appears to have increased slightly. Hide Caption 7 of 13 Photos: North Korea's political prisons growing? More homes under construction – Two more housing units under construction close to the main entrance of Kwanliso 16. Each building has ten 4 x 3.5 meter units. Hide Caption 8 of 13 Photos: North Korea's political prisons growing? Camp security – The camp is surrounded by a double fence along its perimeter and numerous guard posts. Access is highly restricted through two gates on opposite sides of the political prison camp. Hide Caption 9 of 13 Photos: North Korea's political prisons growing? Logging – In March 2011, logging is widely visible in the camp. Hide Caption 10 of 13 Photos: North Korea's political prisons growing? Ongoing logging activities – An image from September 2013 shows that logging activities have been ongoing over a two year period. Hide Caption 11 of 13 Photos: North Korea's political prisons growing? Making furniture? – One of four satellite images taken of a probable furniture factory. Lumber piles changed over time, indicating production activity. Hide Caption 12 of 13 Photos: North Korea's political prisons growing? Administrative compound: Before & after – Satellite images of Kwanliso 15 (Yodok Kwanliso), taken on the 26 March 2011 and 22 February 2012 show an administrative compound that was built during that period. The complex is likely to be a guard station or an administrative area to support logging activities. Hide Caption 13 of 13

Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Photos North Korea didn't want you to see – A stern looking North Korean guard by the Chinese border customs office. This image was deleted by North Korean officials. Hide Caption 1 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Deleting the offensive photos – Writer Johan Nylander and his guide, Ko Chang Ho, watch as a North Korean guard deletes 90 photos deemed unacceptable. Nylander was able to recover the photos with the help of an IT specialist -- the images that follow are an edited selection. Hide Caption 2 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Hello, Dear Leader – This propaganda monument of "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-Il by a countryside road, not far from the border to China, was deleted by authorities. North Korea required images of leaders be full body shots. Hide Caption 3 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Waiting for a train – People standing by the train track, while a guard is monitoring the bike race. Hide Caption 4 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Watching the race – In the city of Rason, people are leaning out of windows to get a glimpse of the Western cyclists. Hide Caption 5 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Pedestrian peasants – A woman and a man walking by the side of the road lined with cornfields. Hide Caption 6 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Village life – Villagers waving by the race path. Hide Caption 7 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Heavy security – Guards and custom officials by the border to China. Hide Caption 8 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Secret volleyball court? – By the border checkpoint next to the Tumen River, North Korean customs officials can play volleyball. Officials prohibited any photos of North Korean military bases. Hide Caption 9 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Photos North Korea didn't want you to see – Peasants and villagers standing by the road to look at the Western cyclists Hide Caption 10 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Keeping watch – Guard keeping an eye on the bikers next to a small village. Hide Caption 11 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Photos North Korea didn't want you to see – Kids playing outside village houses. Hide Caption 12 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Waiting for the cyclists – Spectators waiting for the bikers to reach the finish line. In the background the "Great" and "Dear Leaders" Kim Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong-Il. Hide Caption 13 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Standing on bikes to see cyclists – Huge crowds -- some of whom standing on their own bikes -- as they await cyclists by the race finish line in Rason. Hide Caption 14 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Document check – Custom official and tourist bureau guide checking foreigners' passports. Hide Caption 15 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Water checkpoint – Guides from the local tourist bureau handing out water bottles to bikers, monitored by a guard in the background. Hide Caption 16 of 17 Photos: The photos N. Korea banned Writer and his minder – Journalist Johan Nylander and his North Korean guide, Ko Chang Ho. EDITOR'S NOTE: This image was not among those deleted by North Korean officials. Hide Caption 17 of 17

A count of North Korean announcements about Kim's public appearances went from 24 events in July to 16 in August -- then to just one event in September. His last listed public appearance was a September 4 concert.

His absence has triggered conflicting speculation among longtime North Korea watchers about the security of his position, and on the mechanisms of power in what is arguably the world's most closed society.

Jang Jin-Sung, who was a prominent propagandist for Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father and predecessor, said the 31-year-old dictator is a merely the "puppet" of a shadowy oligarchy.

The old guard who make up the Organization and Guidance Department (OGD) are the real "power holders," Jang told CNN's Brian Todd via telephone from South Korea on Friday. They were tied closely to the late Kim and are not beholden to his son, he said.

Jang, who defected to South Korea almost a decade ago, told Todd that he has spoken with highly placed sources within the regime in recent days. The OGD, he said, "are calling the shots, and not the words of one man they do not know. Basically, they're no longer loyal to the ruling king's word."

Neither CNN nor U.S. intelligence officials can confirm whether Jang's claims are credible, but Ken Gause -- who has studied North Korea for two decades for CNA Corp., a nonprofit agency that provides research and analysis to U.S. government agencies -- agreed that the OGD has enormous clout.

"It keeps the files on everyone (in the regime's leadership), and that definitely makes it a very powerful and dangerous organization," Gause said.

Jonathan Pollack, who specializes in East Asian issues for the Brookings Institution, downplayed the likelihood of a power struggle in Pyongyang, telling CNN that high-level maneuvering to influence Kim is much more likely than any effort to strip him of power.

"This is a top-down system. There is no number two," Pollack said. "It is a royal system, a dynastic system predicated on there being a Kim and then, dare I say, a 'next of Kim' able to wield authoritative power from the top on an unquestioned basis."

Lankov, the Kookmin University analyst, doubts Kim is in political hot water.

"People get sick," he said. "I wouldn't make much of it."

He said he believes Kim is still in charge and is behind Saturday's remarkable visit.

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"North Korean diplomacy has been engaged in concerted, well-arranged, well-managed efforts to improve relations with pretty much the entire outside world. And you would not expect it to happen with nobody in control," he said.

Lankov's take on the reason for North Korea's friendlier approach: economics.

"They want South Korean money and they want normal trade, which is subsidized by South Korea."

In particular, they'd like the South to lift the so-called May 24 Measure, a heavy trade sanction taken in 2010 after the North Korean military sank a South Korean ship, killing 46 sailors.

Toning down the rhetoric

In stark contrast to the bellicose gesturing that has haunted relations in the past, North Korea and South Korea took conciliatory steps in each other's direction in February's first round of high-level talks.

North Korea took the initiative in proposing the talks as a measure to build trust. At the meeting, both sides agreed to tone down the harshness of their rhetoric.

Pyongyang has been particularly irked by joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, and would like them to cease. The North views them as a prelude to an invasion.

Routine military exercises followed later in the same month the first round of talks was held, but were met with less vitriol and military bluster from the North than in the previous year. During joint U.S.-South Korean military maneuvers in 2013, Kim Jong Un flung aggressive threats at both countries and set his military in motion.

Following February's talks, South Korea's Unification Ministry proposed a second round in August.

The North Korean side had not responded to the proposal until Saturday.