Apartment blocks in Pyongyang seen from the Juche Tower (illustrative)

Kim Jong Un crosses into China over newly opened Yalu River bridge on one-day visit to Dandong

October 24, 2026 3 Min Read

Illustrative photo: apartment blocks in Pyongyang seen from the Juche Tower. Photo: Thomas Evans / Unsplash (Unsplash License). It does not show the visit or the bridge.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a one-day visit to China on Saturday, October 24, crossing into the border city of Dandong over the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge, China’s state news agency Xinhua reported. The trip, reported by Al Jazeera with AFP and Reuters, coincided with the eve of the anniversary of China’s entry into the 1950–1953 Korean War, and came just over a week after the bridge was officially inaugurated.

What Kim did in Dandong

According to Xinhua, Kim visited a Korean War memorial in Dandong and paid tribute to the Chinese soldiers who fought alongside North Korea. He then toured a local car factory with Wang Huning, China’s fourth-highest-ranking official, who conveyed “cordial greetings and best wishes” from President Xi Jinping. Wang later saw Kim off at the new bridge, and both sides pledged to strengthen relations. Kim said Pyongyang “stands ready to work with China to carry forward their historical friendship and expand their practical cooperation,” Xinhua reported.

No meeting with Xi was reported during the trip. Kim’s last known visit to China was in September 2025, when he attended the 80th Victory Day commemorations in Beijing and held a summit with Xi. Xi made a state visit to North Korea in June 2026.

A bridge 12 years in waiting

The four-lane, 3-kilometer bridge across the Yalu River, known in North Korea as the Amnok River bridge, links Dandong with the North Korean city of Sinuiju. It was completed in 2014 but stood unused for years; South Korean reports blamed a lack of connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side. China and North Korea formally opened it in mid-October: Xinhua reported the opening on October 15, and North Korea’s KCNA said on October 16 that a ceremony had been held by video link, with North Korean Premier Pak Thae Song and Chinese Premier Li Qiang speaking, according to Reuters.

Pak said the bridge would “accelerate the advance for the prosperity of the two countries,” while Li said China would “highly prioritize the China-DPRK friendship no matter how the international situation may change.” The crossing is expected to carry round-the-clock two-way traffic, including container shipments and heavy trucks.

Why it matters

China is North Korea’s largest trading partner and its main economic and diplomatic backer. Lu Chao, an expert at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told Reuters that the opening “has resolved a major bottleneck in China-North Korea trade logistics” and that bilateral trade is likely to grow further. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera say the visit reflects Kim’s more assertive foreign policy and his effort to align Pyongyang with Beijing and Moscow against the United States. North Korea has also moved closer to Russia since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which analysts say has reduced its dependence on Beijing.

Neither government has published trade figures linked to the bridge, and it is not yet clear when regular cargo traffic will reach full capacity.

Sources

Kcenia Sarapova · Europe, Asia & Middle East · Virtual editorial byline
Editorial direction: Leonidas Ferraz · October 24, 2026 · AI-assisted writing