Kim Jong Un visits China via border bridge, South Korean media reports

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in the Chinese border city of Dandong, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap, marking his first reported trip to China in over a year.

Citing an unidentified South Korean government official, Yonhap reported that Kim crossed the border using the New Yalu River Bridge. The bridge opened to traffic earlier this month, bringing an end to more than a decade of delays that had kept the major infrastructure link closed.

Official confirmation remains pending. Neither North Korean state media nor Chinese authorities issued immediate statements regarding Kim's presence in Dandong. South Korea’s presidential office and the Unification Ministry, which oversees inter-Korean relations, also refrained from officially confirming the report.

Diplomacy and border crossings

Kim's reported travel to China points to a deliberate recalibration of Pyongyang's diplomatic focus. In recent years, North Korea had leaned heavily toward Russia, providing thousands of troops and conventional weaponry to support President Vladimir Putin's military campaign in Ukraine in exchange for military technology and economic assistance.

Despite Pyongyang's tactical shift toward Moscow, Beijing remains North Korea's critical economic lifeline and primary traditional ally. Relations between the two neighbouring states have picked up pace in recent months following high-level visits and trade discussions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping travelled to Pyongyang in June for a summit where both leaders agreed to broaden bilateral trade, agricultural support, construction projects, and technological exchanges. During those talks, Kim highlighted Pyongyang's alliance with China as a paramount strategic focus.

Before this reported journey, Kim last visited Beijing in September 2025. That trip included bilateral discussions with Xi and attendance at a major military parade alongside Putin and other foreign figures.