Kim Jong-un visits Dandong, pledges deeper DPRK-China partnership
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un traveled to the Chinese border city of Dandong, meeting senior Chinese officials and promising to strengthen the historic alliance between the two nations.
Kim Jong-un arrived in Dandong on Saturday, flanked by senior party figures including Jo Yong-won, Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and his sister Kim Yo-jong. He met Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, receiving greetings from President Xi Jinping. During the stop, Kim visited a war memorial honoring Chinese soldiers of the 1950-53 Korean War and joined a banquet before touring a local bus factory.
The trip, his first to China since a 2025 Beijing visit, ended with his crossing back to North Korea over the newly inaugurated New Yalu River Bridge, which links Dandong with Sinuiju. The delegation framed the visit as a reaffirmation of the long-standing DPRK-China friendship amid growing ties with Russia and upcoming APEC talks in China.
Why it matters
The visit underscores North Korea's effort to deepen ties with its key economic and diplomatic ally, China, amid shifting regional dynamics.
How this story developed
- Oct 13 North Korea and China Open Long-Delayed Yalu River Bridge After 12 Years
- Oct 13 Defector Choi Min-kyeong secured a court award of 50 million won against Kim Jong-un for torture and sexual violence she endured in North Korea.
- Oct 15 Customs data showed a pronounced spike in northbound shipments on the older Sino‑Korean Friendship Bridge in the days after the Oct 1‑7 holiday as traders rushed to send goods before the new bridge opens.
- Oct 18 New reporting reveals large numbers of North Korean laborers at Russia’s Alabuga drone plant.
- Oct 19 Kim Yo-jong said the southern border is very unstable and North Korea is reviewing a possible restart of loudspeaker broadcasts.
- Oct 19 North Korean state media released images of Kim Jong Un inspecting a footwear and clothing exhibition, countering online claims that he had died.
- Oct 20 North Korea announced it is considering deploying additional weapons and restarting loudspeaker broadcasts.
- Oct 21 Kim Yo Jong issued a new statement warning of serious tension on the Korean border.
- Oct 21 South Korea reported 2,780 loudspeaker broadcasts and 201 warning shots along the border.
- Oct 22 North Korea announced it will reactivate border loudspeaker broadcasts within days.
- Oct 24 The bridge was formally opened this month after a twelve‑year delay.
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