Reuters. North Korea sends 'special envoy' to critical ally China
World PressThe official North Korean Central News Agency announced a "special envoy" has been dispatched by Kim Jong Un bound for China on Wednesday.
Though state media provided few details regarding the nature of the mission, it did mention the presence of Choe Ryong Hae, the country's top political officer overseeing North Korea's army.
The timing of the trip could indicate it is related to the North's recent strain in relations with China, which is an economic and diplomatic lifeline, and has grown increasingly frustrated with the country's combative rhetoric against the US and South Korea.
Earlier this month China's state-run Bank of China Ltd. announced that it had closed the accounts of the Foreign Trade Bank of North Korea and suspended all transactions.
Kim Jong Un has yet to visit Beijing since assuming control of the country from his father, Kim Jong Il, who met with Chinese officials only a few months prior to his death.