Kim Jong Un Arrives in China via Newly Opened Yalu River Bridge
The North Korean leader crossed into Liaoning Province over a bridge that opened this month, in a rare trip abroad that comes weeks before a regional summit in Shenzhen
Kim Jong Un’s visit to China began on Saturday, October 24, when the North Korean leader arrived in the border city of Dandong after crossing the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge, according to South Korean officials. The bridge links Sinuiju in North Korea with Dandong in China’s Liaoning Province and opened earlier this month after years of delays. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency first reported the arrival, citing a government source, and Seoul’s Unification Ministry later confirmed that Kim had reached the Chinese border city.
South Korean media reported that Chinese Premier Li Qiang greeted Kim upon arrival. However, neither Pyongyang nor Beijing has publicly confirmed the trip, and China’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Japanese news agency Kyodo, citing diplomatic sources, reported heavy traffic controls in parts of Dandong, suggesting that a senior North Korean figure was expected. Officials have not said what Kim plans to discuss or how long he will stay in China.
Kim entered Liaoning Province via the bridge linking Dandong and Sinuiju, a North Korean city on the opposite bank. The bridge crosses the Amnok River, which China calls the Yalu. It has four lanes and is 3,026 meters long. China built it with an investment reported at between $310 million and $350 million, and it was finished in 2014. It then stayed shut for 12 years, mainly because the roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side were not ready.
China and North Korea opened the crossing officially earlier this month. They describe it as the most important land link between the two countries and as a way to revive trade and commerce after years of strained relations and pandemic-related closures. Dandong is the largest trade hub on the border.
Kim Jong Un’s visit marks his first trip to China in about a year. He last traveled to Beijing in September 2025 to attend the 80th anniversary celebrations of Victory Day, where he held a summit with President Xi Jinping. Xi later visited Pyongyang in June, making his first trip to North Korea in seven years. The visit followed Xi’s separate meetings in Beijing with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was viewed as an effort by China to strengthen its regional influence and potentially help restart stalled nuclear negotiations.
The latest trip came with little warning. It follows weeks of online rumors that Kim had died, which South Korean intelligence said were unfounded.
It also comes as Washington tries to restart talks. Trump has said he wants to jump-start negotiations, and in August he said that he planned to meet Kim. Officials say Pyongyang has answered the American outreach with silence. Because North Korea has shown no interest in resuming diplomacy that focuses on its nuclear program, officials in Washington and Seoul see very little chance of a meeting this year.
China will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19, and Trump is scheduled to attend. Some had speculated that the summit could be the place for a sideline meeting with Kim. Trump has since played down expectations, telling reporters at the White House that he is not sure anyone is asking for one. The Kim Jong Un visit to China comes about three weeks before that summit.
Officials have not disclosed the purpose of Kim Jong Un’s visit, the topics he intends to discuss, or how long he plans to remain in China. Neither North Korean nor Chinese authorities have publicly confirmed the trip or released details of his itinerary. The lack of an announced agenda has prompted speculation that the visit could include meetings with senior Chinese officials, although no summit or schedule has been confirmed.
