Kim Jong Un Arrives in China via Newly Opened Bridge

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in the Chinese border city of Dandong after crossing the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge, according to South Korean reporting. South Korea’s Unification Ministry confirmed the visit and crossing, one report said; the initial account from Yonhap cited an unidentified South Korean government source. China had not publicly confirmed the visit in the reports available on Saturday, October 24. The crossing connects Dandong with Sinuiju in North Korea. The four-lane bridge was completed in 2014 but did not open for more than a decade, with reports attributing the delay to unfinished infrastructure on the North Korean side. It officially opened on October 15, making Kim’s reported passage among its first prominent uses. The trip is Kim’s first reported visit to China since September 2025, when he traveled to Beijing, attended events marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and met Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi visited Pyongyang in June, where the two leaders held talks. Whether Kim will meet Xi during this visit has not been established. The visit comes as China and North Korea have sought to strengthen ties. During Xi’s...