(LEAD) N. Korea's top diplomat to visit China from Sept. 27-30

▲ This image, captured from the Korean Central Television, shows North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) NK FM-China visit

(LEAD) N. Korea's top diplomat to visit China from Sept. 27-30

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead para; UPDATES throughout with more info; CHANGES dateline)

SEOUL/BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui will visit China this week for a four-day trip, China's foreign ministry said Thursday, weeks after leader Kim Jong-un traveled to Beijing to attend a military parade.

The trip will take place at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi from Saturday to next Tuesday, Guo Jiakun, spokesperson at China's foreign ministry, said.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency also reported on Choe's planned trip, saying she will visit China "soon."

The planned trip comes as North Korea prepares a large-scale military parade to mark the 80th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea on Oct. 10. The North is reported to be inviting state leaders to the event.

The trip follows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's high-profile attendance at China's military parade in Beijing on Sept. 3 and his subsequent talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping the next day. Choe accompanied Kim on the latest trip to China.

Whether Xi will reciprocally attend the upcoming North Korean military parade is drawing keen attention ahead of the party's founding celebration.

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