Teachers in northeast China say NKorea’s Kim Jong Il is on 2nd trip to China this year

Teachers in northeast China say Kim has visited

BEIJING — Two teachers in the northeastern China say North Korean leader Kim Jong Il visited their school in his second trip this year to his country’s biggest source of diplomatic and financial support.

The teachers at the Yuwen Middle School in Jilin province said Kim visited the school Thursday for about 20 minutes.

His father Kim Il Sung attended the school from 1927 to 1930, according to the school’s website. At the time, Yuwen attracted a cohort of socialist-leaning teachers.

The Chinese government has not commented on the visit by the reclusive leader who rarely travels abroad.

The surprise trip abroad comes as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter makes a rare trip to North Korea on a private mission to secure the freedom of an imprisoned American.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

BEIJING (AP) — Two teachers in the northeastern China say North Korean leader Kim Jong Il visited their school in his second trip this year to his country’s biggest source of diplomatic and financial support.

The teachers at the Yuwen Middle School in Jilin province said Kim visited the school Thursday for about 20 minutes.

His father Kim Il Song attended the school from 1927 to 1930, according to the school’s website. At the time, Yuwen attracted a cohort of socialist-leaning teachers.

The Chinese government has not commented on the visit by the reclusive leader who rarely travels abroad.

The surprise trip abroad comes as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter makes a rare trip to North Korea on a private mission to secure the freedom of an imprisoned American.

(This version CORRECTS the spelling of Kim’s father’s name to Kim Il Sung.)