According to a number of sources familiar with North Korea on Wednesday, shortly before Kim Jong Il visited China (from January 10 to 18), Kang was arrested by the police after it was revealed that he had illegally transferred ownership of a patch of land he owned there three or four years before. The South Korean government has recently confirmed this fact.

Kang was known to have been arrested during Kim’s visit to China, which led to various suspicions on the background of his arrest.

The Chinese police found out about Kang’s transfer during a routine investigation on real estate trades.

A source said, “China let Kang go in a day because it was concerned that punishing Kang just before Kim’s visit might provoke North Korea.”

The government believes Kang is Kim’s fellow alumnus from Kim Il Sung University and serves as Kim’s protocol and physical security secretary.

Kang used to travel around the world to purchase expensive items for Kim but is said to have stayed in North Korea for the last three or four years since his visit to Macau.