[USFK Forums] Kim Jong-il staying at Guangzou hotel: Hong Kong TV report [Yonhap]

[C. Y. Lee]

Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Friday, January 13, 2006

2006/01/12 22:32 KST

Kim Jong-il staying at Guangzhou hotel: Hong Kong TV report

GUANGZHOU, China, Jan. 12 (Yonhap) -- A group of people including a man believed to be North Korean leader Kim Jong-il arrived at a hotel in Guangzhou, southern China, on Thursday, a Hong Kong broadcaster reported.

The group entered the lobby of the White Swan Hotel at 4 p.m., the TVB television network said. It broadcast footage of a dozen passenger cars, including a black Mercedes-Benz, entering the hotel's front gate.

[PHOTO] NK leader thought to be staying at Guangzhou hotel

The hotel, known as a residence for heads of state visiting the port city, previously played host to former U.S. presidents Richard Nixon and George Bush, as well as Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Hotel officials told Yonhap News Agency that its 843 rooms have been reserved and the hotel facilities closed off to all but the newly arrived group, lending further credibility to the broadcaster's claim. About 100 police officers have been stationed to guard the building.

The North Korean group reportedly visited Guangzhou University Town, a new center featuring leading campuses and premium accommodation, before arriving at the hotel.

The report came as China kept a lid on the reclusive figure's whereabouts.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday repeated that it was unable to confirm reports of a visit by the North Korean leader.

Asked to explain its policy of keeping silent on Kim's movements, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in a regular briefing that, "Each country has its own unique situation" and "(China) has different ways of dealing with each country's particular circumstances."


hkim@yna.co.kr
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