Kim Jong-un crosses over newly opened bridge into China

A government source told the Yonhap news agency on Saturday that Kim had arrived in the Chinese border city of Dandong, in Liaoning province, after taking a train from Pyongyang to Sinuiju and crossing the New Yalu River Bridge. Yonhap also reported that the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, had travelled to the city.

Unannounced Visit

Kim's trip was not announced in advance and had not been confirmed by Pyongyang or Beijing by Saturday evening. Japan's Kyodo news agency said traffic controls had been imposed around the bridge and near a museum devoted to China's role in the war, with hotel bookings nearby restricted.

Diplomatic sources told the agency the measures were linked to a visit by a senior North Korean official.

Regional Context

China will mark the anniversary on Sunday of its entry into the 1950-53 Korean war on the North's side. The 3km bridge opened in mid-October, 12 years after China finished building it, after being held up by delays on the North Korean side.

In early September, North Korea and Russia opened the first road bridge across their own short border, leaving Pyongyang newly linked by road to its main backers. This trip is Kim's sixth visit to China and his first since September 2025, when he attended a military parade in Beijing alongside Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin.

Xi visited Pyongyang in June, his first trip there in seven years. Relations with South Korea have deteriorated, with Kim's sister issuing about 10 statements criticizing Seoul since late September and announcing plans to resume loudspeaker broadcasts at the border.

Xi will host the Apec summit in Shenzhen on 18-19 November, fueling speculation about a meeting between Kim and Trump. Reuters reported, however, that US and South Korean officials see little chance of Kim meeting the US president this year.