The presidential office says it is closely watching Beijing with all possibilities in mind following a foreign media report that a high-ranking North Korean official, possibly leader Kim Jong-un, is secretly visiting China. 

A senior presidential official told reporters on Tuesday that efforts for Beijing and Pyongyang to improve bilateral ties ahead of the North’s summits with South Korea and the U.S. are a positive sign. 

The official said that Seoul detected the North's movements several days ago and has been closely monitoring Pyongyang, but added that nothing has been confirmed about who traveled to Beijing. 

Earlier in the day, Bloomberg quoted unidentified sources as saying that "Kim made a surprise visit to Beijing on his first known trip outside North Korea since taking power in 2011."

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