Kim Reportedly Meets Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Dandong

Reports from South Korea say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un crossed into China on Saturday and reached the border city of Dandong, where Chinese Premier Li Qiang was reportedly waiting to greet him. Neither government had confirmed the visit by the end of the day.

The reports describe a journey that began in Pyongyang, where Kim boarded a train to Sinuiju. From there, he walked across the new Amnok River bridge into China's Liaoning Province. The same river is called the Yalu in Chinese territory.

The length of Kim's stay in China remained unknown. South Korean sources said he was likely to return to North Korea on Saturday itself. The visit is Kim's first known overseas trip in more than a year.

The timing carries added weight. China is set to observe 25 October, the anniversary of its military intervention in the Korean War between 1950 and 1953. Chinese forces fought in support of North Korea against the U.S.-led United Nations Command. Although the war ended with a 1953 armistice, no formal peace treaty has been concluded on the Korean Peninsula.

The new bridge, which opened on 15 October, is about three kilometers long and has four lanes. China completed the structure in 2014, but it could not be used until North Korea prepared its access road and customs systems. Its opening is seen as a significant step toward greater trade and strategic cooperation.

The bridge joins Dandong with Sinuiju and is expected to support freight shipments, business activity, and cross-border exchanges. It may also help reduce congestion on the existing China-North Korea Friendship Bridge.

China remains North Korea's largest trading partner and principal economic backer. A significant portion of North Korea's foreign commerce depends on this relationship. Still, international sanctions and economic difficulties inside North Korea could limit the pace of any trade expansion.

Kim's trip takes place as Beijing and Pyongyang look to strengthen bilateral ties. North Korea has also widened its military and economic cooperation with Russia over recent years, a relationship that grew during the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, China is working to revive its long-standing partnership with Pyongyang.

Kim had earlier visited China in September 2025, attending a military parade in Beijing alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The current visit, coming soon after the bridge's opening, is being viewed in the context of expanding contact and cooperation between the two nations.