North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in China's border city
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Dandong, China, via the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday.
The four-lane bridge was completed in 2014 but remained unused for 12 years due to a lack of connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side. Its official opening about a week ago marks a significant development in the relationship between the two neighboring countries.
Economic significance
China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a key source of diplomatic, economic and political support for the isolated, nuclear-armed state, though relations between the two have not always been smooth. The New Yalu River Bridge opened just over a month after North Korea and Russia inaugurated their first road bridge, which Pyongyang hailed as a sign of closer ties.
It appears that Kim Jong Un has arrived in Dandong, China, via the New Yalu River Bridge.
Trade implications
While North Korea's trade with Russia largely involves military supplies, trade with China could provide goods needed to develop its civilian economy, analysts say. The newly opened crossing may facilitate increased commerce between the countries, potentially benefiting North Korea's economic development efforts.
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