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Photograph: Kim Soo-hyeon/Reuters     (kim-jong-un-crosses-newly-opened-bridge-into-china.html#img-1)   View image in fullscreen       A railway station in Seoul, South Korea, shows a TV news report of Kim Jong-un's visit to China. Photograph: Kim Soo-hyeon/Reuters       (https://www.theguardian.com/world/north-korea) North Korea     Kim Jong-un crosses over newly opened bridge into China    Visit by train over New Yalu River Bridge marks North Korean leader’s first known trip abroad in more than a year         (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/raphael-rashid) Raphael Rashid in Seoul   Sat 24 Oct 2026 05.34 EDT  First published on Sat 24 Oct 2026 05.32 EDT   (mailto:?subject=Kim Jong-un crosses over newly opened bridge into China &body=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/24/kim-jong-un-crosses-newly-opened-bridge-into-china?CMP=share_btn_url) Share          (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=theguardian.com) Prefer the Guardian on Google          Kim Jong-un has travelled to China over a newly opened bridge marking the North Korean leader’s first known trip abroad in more than a year, South Korean officials have said. A government source (https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20261024035151504?section=nk/news/all&site=topnews01) told the Yonhap news agency on Saturday that Kim had arrived in the Chinese border city of Dandong, in Liaoning province, after taking a train from Pyongyang to Sinuiju and crossing the New Yalu River Bridge.  Yonhap also reported that the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, had travelled to the city. Kim’s trip was not announced in advance and had not been confirmed by Pyongyang or Beijing by Saturday evening. (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/24/north-korea-new-yalu-river-bridge-russia-china)  North Korea has opened up bridges to Russia and China – in which direction will it go?     Read more        China will mark the anniversary on Sunday of its entry into the 1950-53 Korean war on the North’s side. Japan’s (https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/5f5eebe467ba2dc23d989410bc73788e0d0fe8a4) Kyodo news agency said on Saturday that traffic controls had been imposed around the bridge and near a museum devoted to China’s role in the war, and that hotel bookings nearby had been restricted. Diplomatic sources told the agency the measures were linked to a visit by a senior North Korean official. The 3km bridge (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/24/north-korea-new-yalu-river-bridge-russia-china) opened in mid-October , 12 years after China finished building it, after being held up by delays on the North Korean side. In early September, North Korea and Russia (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/07/russia-north-korea-open-first-road-bridge-tumen-river) opened the first road bridge across their own short border leaving Pyongyang newly linked by road to its main backers.       (The New Yalu River Bridge’s cable-stayed towers span the river linking China and North Korea)   (kim-jong-un-crosses-newly-opened-bridge-into-china.html#img-2)   View image in fullscreen       The New Yalu River Bridge seen from the Chinese border city of Dandong, in Liaoning province. Photograph: Florence Lo/Reuters  The trip is Kim’s sixth visit to China and his first since September 2025, when he (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/03/xi-putin-kim-choreographed-image-that-could-symbolise-shift-global-balance-power) attended a military parade in Beijing alongside the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin. Xi (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/08/xi-jinping-kim-jong-un-meeting-north-korea) visited Pyongyang in June , his first trip there in seven years. Relations with South Korea, meanwhile, have deteriorated. Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, has issued about 10 statements criticising Seoul since late September, a frequency South Korea’s unification ministry has called unusual, and has also announced plans to (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/22/north-korea-to-restart-propaganda-loudspeakers-south-korea) resume loudspeaker broadcasts at the border within days. Xi will host the Apec summit in Shenzhen on 18-19 November, which has fuelled speculation about a meeting between Kim and Donald Trump. Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-south-korean-officials-see-little-chance-trump-kim-meeting-this-year-2026-10-23/) reported on Friday , however, that US and South Korean officials see little chance of Kim meeting the US president this year.         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(Friday, October 23, 2026 at 07:10 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 11h ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/22/north-korea-to-restart-propaganda-loudspeakers-south-korea)    ()      North Korea prepares to restart propaganda loudspeakers as ties sour with South   (Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 11:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 2d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/03/north-korea-launches-ballistic-missile-after-seoul-demands-apology-over-wounded-soldiers)    ()      North Korea launches ballistic missile after Seoul demands apology over wounded soldiers   (Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 01:31 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 3 Oct 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/30/south-korea-apology-north-korea-mine-injures-soldiers)    ()      South Korea calls for apology from North Korea after mine injures three soldiers   (Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 03:53 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 30 Sept 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/29/south-korea-ukraine-north-korea-prisoners-of-war-dispute-explainer)    ()      Why is South Korea so angry with Ukraine over two North Korean prisoners of war?   (Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 01:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 29 Sept 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/19/kim-jong-un-sister-doubt-trump-claims-secret-us-north-korea-talks)    ()      Kim Jong-un’s sister casts doubt on Trump’s claims of secret US-North Korea talks   (Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at 01:39 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 19 Aug 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/12/kim-jong-un-daughter-future-leader-north-korea-south)    ()      Kim close to naming teenage daughter as future North Korean leader, South believes   (Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 09:32 AM Eastern Standard Time) 12 Feb 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/20/kim-jong-un-fires-vice-premier-yang-sung-ho-goat-ox-cart)    ()      Kim Jong-un fires vice-premier and likens him to ‘a goat yoked to an ox cart’   (Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 06:46 AM Eastern Standard Time) 20 Jan 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/24/north-korea-detains-three-over-warship-launch-accident-state-media-reports)    ()      North Korea detains three over warship launch accident, state media reports   (Saturday, May 24, 2025 at 06:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 24 May 2025                        Most viewed      Most viewed                                                               (https://www.theguardian.com/world) World  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news) Europe  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) US news  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/americas) Americas  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/asia) Asia  (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news) Australia  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/africa) Africa  (https://www.theguardian.com/inequality) Inequality  (https://www.theguardian.com/global-development) Global development       (https://www.theguardian.com/) News  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree) Opinion  (https://www.theguardian.com/sport) Sport  (https://www.theguardian.com/culture) Culture  (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle) Lifestyle    Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning (https://www.theguardian.com/info/2018/sep/17/guardian-us-morning-briefing-sign-up-to-stay-informed) Sign up for our email     (https://www.theguardian.com/info/about-guardian-us) About us  (https://manage.theguardian.com/help-centre) Help  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/complaints-and-corrections) Complaints & corrections  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/about-guardian-us/contact) Contact us  (https://www.theguardian.com/tips) Tip us off  (https://www.theguardian.com/securedrop) SecureDrop  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/privacy) Privacy policy  (https://www.theguardian.com/info/cookies) Cookie policy  (https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2026/07/22/STL_Global_Tax_Strategy_for_the_year_to_31_March_2027.pdf) Tax strategy  (https://www.theguardian.com/help/terms-of-service) Terms & conditions   (https://www.theguardian.com/index/subjects/a) All topics  (https://www.theguardian.com/index/contributors) All writers  (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?INTCMP=DOTCOM_FOOTER_NEWSLETTER_US) Newsletters  (https://theguardian.newspapers.com) Digital newspaper archive  (https://bsky.app/profile/us.theguardian.com) Bluesky  (https://www.facebook.com/theguardian) Facebook  (https://www.instagram.com/guardian) Instagram  (https://www.linkedin.com/company/theguardian) LinkedIn  (https://www.threads.com/@guardian_us) Threads  (https://www.tiktok.com/@guardian) TikTok  (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGuardian) YouTube   (https://usadvertising.theguardian.com) Advertise with us  (https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-labs-us) Guardian Labs  (https://workwithus.theguardian.com/) Work with us  (https://www.theguardian.com/help/accessibility-help) Accessibility settings         (kim-jong-un-crosses-newly-opened-bridge-into-china.html#top) Back to top      © 2026Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 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