In Dandong, Kim Jong-un invokes wartime past, eyes economic future

Kim's visit may hint at broader diplomatic aims, including the possibility of US dialogue ahead of APEC

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's whirlwind one-day visit to China's border city of Dandong on Saturday brought together two defining features of Pyongyang's relationship with Beijing: a longstanding alliance rooted in the Korean War and the prospect of expanded economic cooperation.

The deliberately timed trip, Kim's sixth to China overall and his first in 13 months, came just nine days after the opening of a long-delayed bridge expected to boost cross-border trade. It also fell on the eve of a major Chinese commemoration of its intervention in the 1950-53 Korean War.

In a departure from his customary train travel, Kim crossed into China in a motorcade over the New Yalu River Bridge, a four-lane, roughly three-kilometer span linking Dandong with the North Korean city of Sinuiju.

The visit unfolded against a broader diplomatic backdrop, with Beijing preparing to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen next month, amid speculation about whether the gathering could provide an opening for renewed talks between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

Joung Eun-lee, director of the North Korea Research Division at the Korea Institute for National Unification, saw a broader diplomatic calculus behind Kim's brief visit.

“Kim Jong-un’s visit to China appears to have been driven by a combination of objectives, including reaffirming political and military ties (with Beijing), expanding economic cooperation and exploring the possibility of dialogue with the US ahead of the APEC summit,” Joung told The Korea Herald.

"What is particularly noteworthy is that Chairman Kim personally visited China. If the purpose had been simply to expand economic cooperation or strengthen friendly relations, a high-level delegation could have made the visit," Joung said.

Joung further explained that “this suggests that the visit may have had a more significant strategic purpose."

At the same time, Joung emphasized the significance of Kim's decision to cross the newly opened bridge.

"This can be seen as a symbolic gesture demonstrating North Korea's determination to expand economic cooperation with China in earnest," she said.

Kim’s pragmatic diplomacy bridges past, future

Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, described the visit as an example of "Kim Jong-un-style pragmatic diplomacy."

By invoking the two countries' shared wartime history and reaffirming their long-standing alliance, Kim sought to reinforce the political foundation for closer economic ties with Beijing, while signaling his determination to expand cross-border trade and exchanges through the newly opened bridge, Lim said.

"By personally endorsing the official opening and historic mission of the New Yalu River Bridge, which had remained unused for 12 years after its completion, Kim demonstrated his commitment to and expectations for expanding trade and economic cooperation through the bridge," Lim said.

The bridge's opening on Oct. 15 came just over a month after North Korea and Russia inaugurated a road bridge across the Tumen River on Sept. 7, suggesting Pyongyang is seeking to expand economic ties with both neighbors rather than deepen its reliance on China alone.

Lim said the visit allowed Kim to "reestablish an optimal diplomatic position with both China and Russia at his back by reaffirming the military and historical alliance forged in blood with China."

History meets economics

North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday that Kim had visited the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea in Dandong the previous day, ahead of the Oct. 25 anniversary of China's entry into the Korean War, and paid tribute to Chinese soldiers who fought in the conflict.

Kim emphasized "the will of our party and government and our people to forever remember and forever uphold the glorious history of overcoming hardships together, and to forever firmly carry forward the invincible DPRK-China friendship forged in blood," according to KCNA.

After touring the memorial, Kim met Wang Huning, China's fourth-ranking leader and a close ally of President Xi Jinping, who hosted a banquet in Kim's honor under Xi's special instructions, according to KCNA.

Kim also inspected a bus factory in Dandong before crossing the New Yalu River Bridge on his return journey. At the bridge's midpoint, he expressed hope that it would "without doubt faithfully fulfill its historic mission of connecting the two countries and binding our hearts even more firmly together," KCNA reported.

Yang Gap-yong, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy, said Kim's brief visit was "a natural visit to China on an occasion marking the elevation of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership," following Xi's state visit to Pyongyang in June.

The visit also came in the 65th anniversary year of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, signed on July 11, 1961, which commits either country to provide immediate military and other assistance if the other comes under armed attack and enters a state of war.

Yang said Kim's decision to visit Dandong on Saturday was intended to "highlight the significance of the 65th anniversary of the treaty between the two countries."

Beyond its historical symbolism, Kim's visit to the Huanghai Bus factory in Dandong also reflected North Korea's economic priorities.

Yang noted that China's manufacturing experience could help Pyongyang pursue its Regional Development 20×10 Policy, aimed at expanding local industries.

“China's experience and support are important for North Korea's economic development, and drawing on China's experience is particularly important for regional economic development within North Korea, especially in manufacturing,” Yang told The Korea Herald.

Speculation over Kim-Trump summit

Kim's meeting with Wang also raised questions about whether the brief visit involved discussions extending beyond bilateral cooperation.

Joung said Wang's senior position and close ties to Xi underscored the importance Beijing attached to the visit.

"It is possible that Wang conveyed Xi's intentions to Kim while seeking to gauge the North Korean leader's position," she said. "I believe the prospect of renewed dialogue between North Korea and the US may have been one of the key topics discussed during the meeting."

Joung also pointed to the presence of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui at the meeting as particularly noteworthy.

"Their participation suggests that the meeting may have gone beyond a simple goodwill visit to include strategic exchanges on major diplomatic issues, including China-North Korea relations and potential dialogue between North Korea and the US," she added.

Whether the discussions included concrete prospects for renewed talks between Washington and Pyongyang, however, remains a point of disagreement among analysts.

Yang offered a cautious assessment, noting that neither country's official account mentioned US-North Korea dialogue, although the participation of the two foreign ministers meant the possibility of related discussions could not be entirely ruled out.

Yang further explained that “North Korea-China relations fall under the purview of the international liaison department, while multilateral meetings fall under the purview of the Foreign Ministry.”

Michael Bosack, founder of the Parley Policy Initiative, however, doubted that North Korea-US dialogue had been discussed at all during the meeting in Dandong.

“This was a short visit filled with commemorative activities. I am doubtful that Choe Son-hui and Wang Yi had much time for meaningful deliberations. More likely, they affirmed next steps for working level engagements,” Bosack told The Korea Herald.

“I see this visit as being more symbolism than substance.”

Kim's efforts to strengthen ties with both China and Russia have also drawn criticism over their implications for regional security, particularly amid heightened tensions along the inter-Korean border following a recent land mine incident that injured three South Korean soldiers.

“If UN Security Council resolutions guided policy, Russia would be supporting North Korea’s denuclearization and Beijing would encourage Pyongyang to reduce tensions with South Korea,” Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, told The Korea Herald.

“Instead, Moscow is fueling an arms race while China enables the Kim regime’s distorted history of the Korean War and rejection of Seoul’s efforts at reconciliation.”