North Korea’s Kim Jong Un arrives in China, South Korean media say

The visit comes about a week after a major new bridge linking the two countries was officially opened.

China is an important trading partner for North Korea and its leader Kim Jong Un [File: AFP]

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in the Chinese border city of Dandong via a newly opened bridge, South Korea’s ⁠Yonhap News Agency reports, quoting a South Korean government source.

The visit on Saturday comes about a week after the bridge linking the two countries was officially opened, 12 years after its completion, deepening economic ties between the Asian giant and its small nuclear-armed neighbour.

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China is North Korea’s largest trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic, and political support for the reclusive state although ties have not always been smooth.

“Kim arrived in Dandong through the New Yalu River Bridge earlier in the day,” Yonhap reported.

The four-lane structure was completed in 2014, but its opening was delayed due to a lack of connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side, according to South Korean news reports.

Kim’s last known visit to ⁠China was in September 2025 ⁠to attend the 80th Victory Day celebrations in Beijing, where he held a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi made a ⁠state visit to North Korea in June in a sign of improving ⁠ties.

此次访问发生在连接两国的一座重要新桥正式通车大约一周后。

中国是朝鲜及其领导人金正恩的重要贸易伙伴。[图片来源：法新社]

据韩国联合通讯社援引韩国政府消息人士报道，朝鲜领导人金正恩已通过一座新开通的桥梁抵达中国边境城市丹东。

此次访问发生在连接两国的桥梁正式通车一周后，这座桥梁历时 12 年建成，加深了这个亚洲大国与其拥有核武器的小邻国之间的经济联系。

专家称，中朝边境大桥建设对促进贸易作用甚微（共4座，此列为第1座）。

韩国将在战俘事件后从乌克兰撤回更多使馆人员（共4条记录中的第2条）

朝鲜将恢复宣传广播，韩国敦促双方对话（名单共4项，此为第3项）。

韩国邀请朝鲜就边界问题举行军事会谈（共4条，此为第4条）

中国是朝鲜最大的贸易伙伴，也是这个封闭国家重要的外交、经济和政治支持来源，尽管两国关系并非一直顺畅。

据韩联社报道，“金正恩当天早些时候经由新鸭绿江大桥抵达丹东。”

据韩国新闻报道，这条四车道公路于 2014 年竣工，但由于朝鲜一侧缺乏连接道路和海关设施，其通车被推迟。

据知，金正恩最近一次访问中国是在2025年9月，出席在北京举行的朝鲜战争胜利80周年庆典，期间他与中国国家主席习近平举行了会晤。习近平于今年6月对朝鲜进行了国事访问，这表明两国关系正在改善。