JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: South Korea took notice when it was revealed this week that North Korea's leader secretly traveled to Beijing. It was an unlikely trip just ahead of this month's historic inter-Korea summit. CNN's Seoul bureau chief Sohn Jie-Ae has more on reaction in the South.</s>SOHN JIE-AE, SEOUL BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's visit to Beijing provided South Koreans with their first real look at the reclusive man who will meet their president for the first time less than two weeks from now. Since the death of Kim's father, the founder of North Korea, six years ago, Kim Jong-il has rarely appeared on non-North Korean TV. Kim's recent diplomatic venture is being well-received in the South. The South's assistant foreign minister said Seoul welcomes the North's efforts to improve its outside relations. The hope is that it will have a positive effect on the upcoming summit. Others place additional significance on the meeting.</s>MOON CHUNG-IN, YONSAI UNIVERSITY: The very fact that he's engaging in consultation with Chinese leadership means that he's willing to accommodate check and balance from China. As long as North Korea conducts foreign policy in consultation with outside actors, then we can anticipate a greater degree of stability and certainty in its conduct of foreign policy.</s>JIE-AE: South Korean media also took great interest in the fact that the North Korean leader visited Beijing's high-tech district and that North Korean TV reported on how Kim praised the Chinese economic system. If and when relations warm between the two Koreas, this could signal a window of opportunity for South Korea's high-tech industry. (on camera): South Korean analysts and officials alike seem to be reading good signs into Kim's recent visit to Beijing. But they're also agreed it may be too early to tell whether these signs will actually lead to good results. Sohn Jie-Ae, CNN, Seoul.
North Korean Leader's Beijing Trip Encouraging to Seoul