Surprise trip: Kim Jong Un crosses new Yalu River bridge into China

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a surprise trip to China on Saturday. South Korea's Unification Ministry said he arrived in the border city of Dandong in Liaoning province after crossing the New Yalu River Bridge, which links Dandong with the North Korean city of Sinuiju. Yonhap news agency first reported the visit, citing a government source. Neither Beijing nor Pyongyang commented immediately, and China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. It is Kim's first known trip to China since September 2025.

No itinerary or purpose had been announced by Saturday afternoon. The visit comes on the eve of the 76th anniversary of China's entry into the Korean War on Oct. 25. According to broadcaster SBS, Kim met President Xi Jinping on each of his five previous trips to China, so a summit is expected again. Japanese media reported tight traffic controls in Dandong. The four-lane bridge was finished in 2014 but only opened on Oct. 15 because roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side were missing.

Ties had been strained after North Korea supplied Russia with troops and weapons for its war against Ukraine. Kim has since moved closer to Beijing again: Xi visited Pyongyang in June, and the two agreed to expand cooperation in trade, agriculture, construction and technology. Analyst Lu Chao told Reuters the bridge resolves “a major bottleneck” in trade. Rumors of Kim's death recently circulated online; South Korea's National Intelligence Service told lawmakers on Friday they were false. U.S. President Donald Trump wants to restart talks with North Korea.