KYODO NEWS - Jul 10, 2019 - 20:10 | World, All

A North Korean delegation led by a senior ruling party official left Pyongyang for China by air on Wednesday.

The delegation of Kim Sung Nam, one of the first vice directors of the Workers' Party of Korea, is likely to meet with officials of the Chinese Communist Party in an attempt to bolster relations between the two entities, foreign affairs experts say.

Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited North Korea for the first time since he came to power in 2013. He held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Kim Sung Nam used to be in charge of diplomacy with China. In the past, he made a secret visit to China to arrange a trip by Kim Jong Un to the country.

This time, Kim Sung Nam is expected to be visiting in an official capacity, but the details of his trip remain unclear.