Kim Jong Un Travels to China Across the Newly Opened Border Bridge

North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in the Chinese city of Dandong across a newly opened border bridge. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported the visit, citing South Korean government sources.

The trip on Saturday (24 October) came just a week after the new bridge connecting the two countries was officially opened. The opening is expected to deepen economic ties between the two Asian allies.

Yonhap reported: "Kim arrived in Dandong this morning via the Yalu River bridge." The North Korean leader thus became one of the first travellers to use the bridge after its opening, lending the visit symbolic weight.

Construction of the four-lane bridge was actually completed back in 2014. But it could not be opened for years because the North Korean side lacked connecting roads and customs facilities. After lying idle for more than a decade, the bridge has finally been opened to traffic.

China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a main source of diplomatic, economic and political support for the secretive state, although the relationship between the two has not always been smooth.

Kim's previous visit to China was in September 2025, when he travelled to Beijing to attend the 80th Victory Day celebrations and joined a summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

As a sign of close ties, President Xi Jinping also made a state visit to North Korea last June. Kim's Dandong trip is being seen as another expression of closeness in this pattern of reciprocal visits by the top leadership.

The new bridge is expected to speed up border trade and travel. Land connections with China are vital for North Korea's economy, since a large share of its foreign trade moves along this route.

No detailed official programme for the visit has been announced. Neither North Korea nor China immediately confirmed whom Kim will meet or how long he will stay in China.

Because the news came through South Korean government sources, the visit is being watched across the region. Neighbouring countries typically monitor the North Korean leader's foreign trips closely, since they offer clues about the direction of regional diplomacy.

Overall, analysts believe Kim Jong Un crossing into China over the new bridge within a week of its opening signals an intent to strengthen economic and political ties between the two allies. Attention will now turn to whether the trip ends with a joint announcement or news of new cooperation.