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SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in China's border city of Dandong via a newly opened bridge linking the two nations, a government source said Saturday.
The government source told Yonhap News Agency that Kim arrived in Dandong after taking the bridge across the Amnok River, also known as the Yalu River in China.
Kim "arrived in Dandong, in China's Liaoning Province, via the New Amnok River Bridge," the source said.
Separately, Rep. Youn Kun-young of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) said Chinese Premier Li Qiang received Kim in Dandong, adding that the North Korean leader appeared likely to return home later Saturday.
Youn said there would be little reason for Kim to stay longer in the Chinese city solely for the bridge-opening ceremony, with a major anniversary commemoration scheduled for the following day.
"This China visit is expected to be very short," Youn said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the closing session of the third workshop for officials in the information sector of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang on Sept. 21, 2026, in this photo taken from the North's official Korean Central Television the next day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Kim's arrival in Dandong came a day before North Korea and China are set to celebrate the anniversary of Chinese troops' participation in the 1950-53 Korean War.
Pyongyang and Beijing have observed Oct. 25 as the anniversary of Chinese troops' participation in the Korean War to aid North Korea. The day marks Chinese soldiers' first combat against the U.N. forces.
A meeting between Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Dandong appears highly unlikely, as Xi and other senior Communist Party officials are scheduled to attend a closed-door party meeting in Beijing from Monday to Thursday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) watches a ceremonial parade by soldiers in Pyongyang on July 27, 2026, to mark the 73rd anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War armistice that fell the same day, in this file photo taken from the North's official Korean Central Television the next day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
The bridge, which links North Korea's border city of Sinuiju with China's Dandong, was opened this month after 12 years of construction, highlighting its potential to strengthen economic ties between Pyongyang and Beijing.
The four-lane bridge, stretching 3,026 meters, was completed in 2014 with an investment of about US$310 million from China. Its opening had been delayed for years due to North Korea's failure, if not refusal, to complete building connecting roads and customs facilities on its side.
Kim last visited China in September 2025. Saturday's visit marked his sixth to China.
Next month, China is set to host a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shenzhen, where U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to attend.
Trump has expressed hopes to hold talks with the North Korean leader, but Pyongyang has remained unresponsive.
North Korean and Chinese officials attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony on a new cross-border bridge across the Amnok River, also known as the Yalu River, between North Korea and China on Oct. 15, 2026, to mark the inauguration of the New Amnok River Bridge, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) the next day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
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