Arriving in Dandong via the New Bridge

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Dandong, a Chinese border city, on Saturday, October 24, 2026. He crossed the New Yalu River Bridge, which connects Dandong with Sinuiju in North Korea, in a previously unannounced visit.

The Xinhua news agency reported the visit, according to Reuters. Kim was said to be accompanied by senior Chinese official Wang Huning, who conveyed greetings from President Xi Jinping. Yonhap separately reported that Chinese Premier Li Qiang traveled to Dandong, but details of Kim's meetings and itinerary remained unclear.

Bridge Derelict for 12 Years, Now Opened

The new Yalu River Bridge stretches 3 kilometers and officially opened in mid-October 2026. Yet China had already completed construction of the bridge in 2014.

The bridge's opening was delayed for twelve years because connecting facilities on the North Korean side were not ready, including an access road and customs facilities. Now, the bridge is expected to reopen the two countries' main overland trade route after years of disruption.

This four-lane bridge connects two border cities that until now were linked only by an old bridge. With greater capacity, the new bridge is designed to transport heavy equipment and goods in large quantities, not merely light inter-city traffic.

Signals of Warming Beijing-Pyongyang Relations

Kim's visit to Dandong is the latest sign of warming relations between China and North Korea. Over the past thirteen months, Xi Jinping and Kim have met twice at summits, and Xi visited North Korea in June 2026.

China is North Korea's main trading partner and accounts for the bulk of Pyongyang's official trade. The new bridge is expected to facilitate the movement of heavy equipment, raw materials and energy products that North Korea needs for construction.

On the other hand, North Korea's deepening military ties with Russia since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 had raised questions about whether Pyongyang was becoming less dependent on Beijing. Kim's visit to Dandong shows that the economic channel with China remains maintained, even strengthened, amid Pyongyang's closeness with Moscow.

Unconfirmed

As of Saturday night, Pyongyang and Beijing had not officially confirmed the details of the visit, and Kim's itinerary was not announced. Television footage from China cited by Reuters showed Kim walking on a bridge, accompanied by people waving flags.

This visit also took place one day before China commemorated the entry of Chinese troops into the 1950-1953 Korean War on the side of North Korea, a symbolic moment in the relationship between the two countries.

Looking ahead, China will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen next month, which U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to attend. Washington itself is said to want to reopen dialogue with Pyongyang, although the chances of a Trump-Kim meeting this year are seen as increasingly slim.