North Korean leader Kim Jong-un returned to his country by road on Sunday local time (night in Chile) after visiting a historic Korean War monument in the Chinese border city of Dandong, according to North Korean state media.
According to the report, Kim visited the city on Saturday and crossed a newly inaugurated bridge connecting his nation with its largest trading partner, China, in what was interpreted as a symbol of Beijing and Pyongyang's push to expand trade ties.
Media outlets such as the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) emphasized the historical importance of the visit, describing the bilateral relationship as an "unbreakable" bond forged during the 1950-1953 conflict, as reported by Reuters.
In its press release, KCNA stated that during his tour the North Korean leader said the North Korean people would "forever remember the glorious years of struggle alongside the Chinese people" and would pass on "generational gratitude to the Chinese people who helped our revolution with their blood."
Kim's visit is interpreted as a new effort by China and North Korea to strengthen their economic relationship ahead of US President Donald Trump's trip to the region next month.
Likewise, according to Reuters, it highlights Pyongyang's "sophisticated" diplomatic balancing act, which has also been closely strengthening its military ti…
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WorldNorth Korea's leader visited the Chinese border town of Dandong, crossing a newly inaugurated bridge over the Yalu River that connects the two nations. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his meeting with senior Chinese official Wang Huning on the newly inaugurated bridge over the Yalu River. Photo: @nknewsorg on X. CommentsNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un returned to his country by road on Sunday local time (night in Chile) after visiting a historic monument of the Korean War in the Chinese border city of Dandong, North Korean state media reported. According to the report, Kim visited the town on Saturday and crossed a newly inaugurated bridge that connects his nation with its largest trading partner, China, in what was interpreted as a symbol of Beijing and Pyongyang's push to expand trade ties. Media outlets such as the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) emphasized the historical significance of the visit, describing the bilateral relationship as an "unbreakable" bond forged during the 1950-1953 conflict, as reported by Reuters. In its press release, KCNA noted that during his tour, the North Korean leader stated that the North Korean people would "forever remember the glorious years of struggle alongside the Chinese people" and would pass on "generational gratitude to the Chinese people who helped our revolution with their blood." Kim's visit is interpreted as a new effort by China and North Korea to strengthen their economic relationship ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's trip to the region next month. Likewise, according to Reuters, it highlights Pyongyang's "sophisticated" diplomatic balancing act, as it has also been tightening its military ties with Moscow over the past two years. Kim last visited Beijing in September 2025 for a military parade, and Chinese President Xi Jinping visited North Korea in June. The KCNA agency also reported that "enjoying a panoramic view from the midpoint of the newly inaugurated bridge, Comrade Kim Jong-un expressed his hope that the bridge would undoubtedly and properly fulfill its historic mission of uniting the two countries and firmly binding the hearts of the peoples of both nations." The two Koreas are technically still at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. More on:North KoreaKim Jong-unChinaVisitDandongBridgeWorld