South Korean authorities confirmed that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un traveled to China on the 24th, drawing fresh attention to the warming relationship between Pyongyang and Beijing. The trip is especially notable because it came just nine days after the official opening of the New Yalu River Bridge, which links Sinuiju in North Korea with Dandong in China's Liaoning province.
According to the Ministry of Unification, Kim entered China via the bridge on the morning of the 24th. Officials believe he traveled by train from Pyongyang to Sinuiju, then crossed the bridge in his official vehicle to arrive in Dandong.
Japan's Kyodo News had earlier reported, citing diplomatic sources, that strict traffic controls were in place in parts of Dandong, which borders North Korea. Hotel bookings in the area were also restricted, and the traffic and lodging controls had prompted speculation that a top North Korean official was preparing to visit China.
It was Kim's first trip to China in about a year, following his visit in September last year, when he traveled to Beijing for the 80th anniversary of China's victory in World War II and held a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The visit comes as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes to resume talks with North Korea this year, and ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit to be held next month in Shenzhen, China. It also serves to dispel rumors of Kim's death that had circulated online in recent weeks.
The 25th marks the 76th anniversary of China's entry into the Korean War, when it sent troops to support North Korea. China calls the conflict the "War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea" and has long cited it as a historic symbol of friendship between the two countries. That has fueled speculation that Kim may attend related commemorative events in China.
The New Yalu River Bridge, which Kim crossed, is a four-lane span stretching 3,026 meters between Dandong, the largest trading hub between the two countries, and Sinuiju in North Pyongan province. Construction was completed in 2014, but the opening was delayed for years because connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side were unfinished. The bridge officially opened on the 15th of this month. Some observers say Kim's crossing just nine days later signals that economic cooperation between the two countries will accelerate.