A top North Korean official in charge of economic and trade policies arrived in Beijing on Monday amid signs that China may be easing sanctions on North Korea.

Ku Bon-tae, vice minister of external economic affairs, arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport on an Air Koryo flight Monday morning and immediately left the airport in a Chinese vehicle.

During his stay, the vice minister is expected to meet Chinese officials and discuss China's development assistance for the North and bilateral economic cooperation in areas of agriculture, railway and electricity.

The visit is seen as marking the start of China's earnest economic support for Pyongyang after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held his third summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last month.

[Photo : KBS News]