The New Yalu River Bridge connects North Korea’s Sinuiju with China’s Dandong. Completed in 2014, it was officially opened this month after 12 years of delays, primarily due to incomplete infrastructure on the North Korean side. The bridge is expected to boost economic ties between the two countries. It is the second such bridge to open recently, following a road bridge between North Korea and Russia in early September.

South Korean ruling party lawmaker Youn Kun-young said Kim was likely to return to North Korea later the same day, noting that there was little reason for him to stay in Dandong for the bridge’s official opening ceremony, which is scheduled for the following day. The visit coincided with the anniversary of Chinese military involvement in the Korean War, observed on October 25. A meeting between Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping appears unlikely, as Xi is attending a closed-door party meeting in Beijing from Monday to Thursday.

China is set to host the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November, where U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to attend. Trump has expressed interest in meeting Kim, but Pyongyang has not responded. Analysts suggest Kim may be seeking Chinese support ahead of any potential summit.

Hours before news of his visit to Dandong emerged, North Korean state media reported that Kim had called for a “Korean-style military revolution” during a meeting of military commanders in Pyongyang. The remarks came amid heightened tensions with South Korea, which proposed talks to clarify the border after an explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) injured South Korean soldiers. Pyongyang denied responsibility and has not responded to the proposal.

Kim’s visit to Dandong is his sixth to China and his first since September 2025, when he attended a military parade in Beijing alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Xi visited Pyongyang in June 2026, marking his first trip there in seven years.

Japanese media reported that traffic controls and hotel booking restrictions were imposed around the bridge and a nearby museum related to China’s role in the Korean War. These measures were linked to the visit, according to Kyodo news agency. South Korea’s government has not confirmed Kim’s itinerary in China, and neither North Korea nor China has officially commented on the visit.