SEOUL, October 24 (Aalimi Nation) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made an unannounced visit to China on Saturday, crossing the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge into the border city of Dandong, South Korea's Unification Ministry confirmed. The Kim Jong Un visit to China comes a day before the anniversary of Chinese troops entering the 1950–53 Korean War.
A South Korean government source said Kim arrived in Dandong, in China's Liaoning province, via the bridge that links it with Sinuiju in North Korea. A ruling-party source said the trip was expected to be very brief and that Kim was likely to return home the same day, since a major commemoration was due the following day. "This China visit is expected to be very short," the source said.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang was said to have travelled to Dandong, but the identity of those who received Kim has not been officially confirmed. Beijing's foreign ministry had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting, and neither Pyongyang nor Beijing had issued a statement on the trip. There was no confirmation of any meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Japanese media reports, citing diplomatic sources, said strict traffic restrictions had been imposed in parts of Dandong, which fuelled speculation that a senior North Korean figure was in the city.
The four-lane New Yalu River Bridge is about 3 km long and was completed in 2014 with roughly $310 million in Chinese investment. Its opening was delayed for years because North Korea had not finished the connecting roads and customs facilities on its side. The bridge officially opened on October 15 and is expected to carry two-way traffic around the clock, including container shipments and heavy trucks.
This is Kim's sixth visit to China, and his first since September 2025, when he attended a military parade in Beijing and met Xi. Xi made a state visit to North Korea in June, when both sides discussed wider cooperation in trade, agriculture, construction and technology.
China is North Korea's largest trading partner and main economic backer, although ties have not always been smooth. Analysts say Pyongyang has grown closer to Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which has reduced its dependence on Beijing.
The visit also comes as China prepares to host the APEC summit in Shenzhen next month, which US President Donald Trump is expected to attend. Mr Trump has said he hopes to hold talks with Kim, but Pyongyang has not responded publicly.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service told lawmakers on Friday that unverified social media claims that Kim had died of a brain haemorrhage were false.
Whether Kim stays in Dandong or travels further into China, and whether he meets Chinese leaders, will shape how the visit is read. Attention will also turn to the Korean War anniversary events on Sunday, and to any statement from the two governments on the purpose of the trip. Until they speak, the details of the visit rest on South Korean officials and sources, and on what is visible from the border city.
