The Foreign Ministry says it is unable to confirm facts on media reports that a high-ranking North Korean official visited Beijing.

Ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk told reporters in a regular briefing Tuesday that there have been numerous reports with diverse analyses and speculations on the arrival of an unidentified North Korean official in China.

Noh said the South Korean government is closely monitoring the situation and trends, including the authenticity of the reports, and there is nothing to confirm at this time.

When asked whether Beijing had confirmed who the official was, the spokesman said that, in the past, China made public announcements on such exchanges at a time they considered appropriate and had shared information with relevant countries if deemed necessary.