Pyongyang, January 19 (KCNA) - Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, paid an unofficial visit to the People's Republic of China, from January 10 to 18 at the invitation of Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and president of the People's Republic of China. He was accompanied by Pak Pong Ju, premier of the DPRK Cabinet, Kang Sok Ju, first vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Pak Nam Gi and Ri Kwang Ho, department directors of the WPK Central Committee, and Ro Tu Chol, vice-premier of the DPRK Cabinet.

Party and state leaders and people of China warmly welcomed Kim Jong Il visiting China again at the outset of the new year for the purpose of boosting the DPRK-China friendship and accorded him cordial hospitality with utmost sincerity.

He toured the central and southern parts of the PRC.

The first leg of his visit was Wuhan and Yichang cities of Hubei Province.

ETC..................................................

As shown on LINN's.com-New Issues-Asia, Sept. 4, 2006:

March 4: Kim Jong Il's Unofficial Visit to China,
Pane of six se-tenant stamps,
3 won, visiting Crop Research Institute;
12w, at optical fiber workshop;
35w, at Three Gorges Dam on Yantze River;
70w, at Guangzhou International Conference and Exhibition Center;
100w, at Gree Air Conditioner Production Co.;
120w, at Yandian Port;

Souvenir sheet with 102w stamp, meeting Hu Jintao.
Designer, Choe Chol Man; offset, printer not reported; 50,000 perforated sets; 1,000 imperf sets.