Kim Jong-un makes China visit through New Yalu River Bridge

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un traveled to China on Saturday for the first time in more than a year, making a rare overseas trip amid recent rumors of his death.

“Kim arrived in Dandong, Liaoning Province, via the New Yalu River Bridge” South Korea's Unification Ministry said Saturday. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang greeted Kim upon his arrival, a government source told the JoongAng Ilbo. 

“The visit appears to have been timed to coincide with Oct. 25, when North Korea and China commemorate the entry of Chinese troops into the [1950-53] Korean War,” the source added.

Details of Kim's itinerary in China remain unclear, but a source from South Korea's ruling party told Yonhap News Agency that Kim was expected to return to North Korea later Saturday.

“This will be a very brief visit,” the source said. “What matters is whom he meets while in China, and that remains to be seen.”

The New Yalu River Bridge is a four-lane, 3.03-kilometer (1.88-mile) bridge connecting Dandong, a major hub for trade between North Korea and China, with Sinuiju in North Korea's North Pyongan Province.

Completed in 2014, the bridge remained unopened for more than a decade due to delays in constructing connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side. It officially opened on Oct. 15.

Earlier Saturday, Japan's Kyodo News reported, citing diplomatic sources, that strict traffic restrictions had been imposed in parts of Dandong, a Chinese city bordering North Korea, fueling speculation that a senior North Korean official was visiting the area.

Kim's surprise visit comes as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to resume talks with North Korea before the end of the year and ahead of the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China.

The trip also comes amid recent rumors of Kim's death circulating on social media overseas, with his public appearance further undermining the speculation.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service reportedly told the parliamentary committee on Friday that the rumors were unfounded.

North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency also reported Saturday that Kim had presided over a major two-day military gathering in Pyongyang on Wednesday and Thursday, during which he called for building the “world's strongest armed forces.”

Updated, Oct. 24, 2026: Comment from source inside South Korea's ruling party added. 

BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]