Amid speculation about yet another secret visit to China by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a Japanese media outlet has reported that a North Korean plane that appeared to be carrying a top North Korean official departed Dalian Airport in China's northeastern province of Liaoning on Tuesday afternoon. 

NHK said the plane took off from the airport escorted by Chinese officials at around 3:20 p.m. local time. 

The Japanese public broadcaster said a North Korean airplane, the same type as Kim’s personal jet, was seen parked at the Chinese airport along with another airplane belonging to the North Korean airline Air Koryo. 

NHK said it could not verify who was in the plane, but if it was Kim, the broadcaster said there's a possibility he could have met Chinese President Xi Jinping for the second time in just over a month. 

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