Kim`s Seoul visit to be moved up

North Korean Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-Il's planned visit to Seoul could take place earlier than expected, a government official said Tuesday.

Disclosing that the North Korean leader's Seoul visit was being discussed by the two Koreas, the official noted that Kim's trip here would be conducted openly.

He said that the government earlier expected the visit to take place in the spring or during the first half of the year but that a February date seemed too early, indicating that the visit would occur in March or April.

The official forecast calls for a visit to Washington by President Kim, which is scheduled for March, to precede Kim Jong-Il's Seoul visit.

However, it is difficult to predict the exact date of the North Korean leader's Seoul trip, as Pyongyang is weighing security concerns. The official pointed out that North Korean Workers Party's secretary Kim Yong-sun notified Seoul of his visit here only two days before his departure from the North.