The ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs believes North Korea's foreign minister is visiting China to communicate with Beijing ahead of possible South Korea-China and China-U.S. meetings during next month's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju.

A Ministry of Unification official made the comment to reporters on Tuesday when asked about the purpose of North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui's recent trip to China.

The statement comes amid speculation that Choe may have asked Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to ensure that the North's denuclearization is not present in any documentation Beijing may issue jointly with Seoul or Washington following the event.

The official viewed it as unlikely that Choe and Wang had discussed Chinese President Xi Jinping's potential attendance at a military parade commemorating the foundation of the ruling Workers' Party on October 10.

No top Chinese leader has ever visited Pyongyang on the Workers' Party's anniversary, and the recent North Korea-China summit further lowers the likelihood of an additional meeting.

The North Korean minister, who has been in Beijing since Saturday, will return home on Tuesday.