Kim Jong-un makes first known trip abroad in over a year, crossing new Yalu River bridge into China
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has crossed the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge into China, arriving in Dandong in Liaoning province, in what South Korean officials call his first known trip abroad in more than a year.
Kim Jong-un makes first known trip abroad in over a year, crossing new Yalu River bridge into China
The reported Kim Jong-un China visit has not been announced in advance, and neither Pyongyang nor Beijing had confirmed it by Saturday evening, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
A train journey to Dandong
A government source told Yonhap on Saturday that Kim arrived in Dandong, in Liaoning province, after taking a train from Pyongyang to Sinuiju and then crossing the New Yalu River Bridge into China. Yonhap also reported that the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, had travelled to the border city.
Security measures in the border city
Japan's Kyodo news agency reported on Saturday that restrictions were in place around the crossing, with diplomatic sources saying the measures were tied to a visit by a senior North Korean official. The steps included:
- traffic controls imposed around the bridge and near a museum devoted to China's role in the war
- restrictions on bookings at nearby hotels
A bridge twelve years in the waiting
The 3km bridge opened in mid-October, twelve years after China finished building it, with the delay caused by holdups 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 both of its main backers.
Sixth visit and what may follow
South Korean officials view the trip as 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 travelled the other way in June, visiting Pyongyang for the first time in seven years. China will mark on Sunday the anniversary of its entry into the 1950-53 Korean war on the North's side.
Xi will host the Apec summit in Shenzhen on 18-19 November, which has fuelled speculation about a possible Kim-Trump meeting. However, Reuters reported on Friday that US and South Korean officials see little chance of Kim meeting Donald Trump this year. Neither Pyongyang nor Beijing had confirmed the trip by Saturday evening.
