Jimmy Carter in N. Korea in Bid to Free U.S. Christian

Former President Jimmy Carter was greeted with warmth by North Korean officials Thursday at an airport in the capital city of Pyongyang.

Carter is visiting the communist regime in a private humanitarian effort to win the release of imprisoned American Christian Aijalon Mahli Gomes

The former president is expected return home with Gomes as early as Thursday. North Korea had sentenced Gomes to eight years of hard labor for illegally entering the country.

Asia analyst Gordon Chang says North Korea sees this as a major diplomatic victory.

"The North Koreans really want official recognition," he explained. It's a very difficult time for Kim Jong Il. He's old. He's in very bad health. His succession plan which is to pass power to his 27year-old son is not meeting with universal expectance. Nothing is going right for Kim Jong il. Having someone with Carter's statute come to Pyongyang really give the regime a big lift."

Surprisingly, the dictator is apparently not in North Korea for Carter's visit. South Korean news agencies have reported Jong's in northeastern China, where he visited a middle school.

They have speculated that he may be trying to shore up China's support for one of his sons as a successor to his regime.