Is Kim Jong-Un Alive? North Korean Leader Makes Rare China Trip Across a Bridge That Took 12 Years To Complete

Kim Jong Un travelled to Dandong, China, on Saturday, 24 October 2026, crossing a border bridge that had stood unopened for 12 years. The North Korean leader met senior Chinese official Wang Huning and visited a Korean War memorial. His rare trip followed unsubstantiated online rumours that he had died.

South Korea's unification ministry reported Kim's arrival across the New Yalu River Bridge. Chinese authorities confirmed the visit, while North Korean state media said on Sunday that he had returned home. North Korean television also showed footage of his car crossing the bridge, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily.

The newspaper reported that a US-based Chinese dissident had claimed on social media that Kim died from a brain haemorrhage. No evidence supported the allegation. Kim's public appearance contradicted it, but there is no evidence he travelled to China specifically to counter the rumour.

Kim Jong Un Crosses Bridge Delayed for 12 Years

The New Yalu River Bridge links Dandong in China's Liaoning province with Sinuiju in North Korea. It opened on 15 October 2026, despite construction having been completed in 2014. Unfinished access roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side had delayed the opening.

The four-lane crossing stretches about 3km over the Yalu River. It supplements the older China–North Korea Friendship Bridge, which carries road and rail traffic. Its opening could expand cross-border transport, although neither government has announced projected traffic figures or binding new trade targets.

Kim also visited the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, which commemorates China's intervention in the Korean War.

According to China's official diplomatic account, Kim laid a flower basket at the memorial tower and viewed exhibits on the conflict. A ribbon on the flowers honoured Chinese troops, declaring that the fallen soldiers 'are always remembered'. He also presented the museum with an inscribed historical photograph.

Wang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, accompanied Kim. Wang is also a member of the Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee. He conveyed greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping during the visit.

The two officials later toured a vehicle factory in Dandong. North Korean state media said Wang also hosted a banquet for Kim at Xi's direction.

Kim expressed his readiness to 'expand practical cooperation' with China, according to the Chinese account. Wang described the bridge as an opportunity to increase exchanges and trade. Neither statement set out investment sums, specific commercial agreements or a timetable for further projects.

The visit took place one day before the 76th anniversary of China's military intervention in the Korean War. Chinese troops crossed into North Korea in October 1950, entering a conflict that continued until 1953.

Kyodo News reported traffic restrictions near the bridge and war museum, alongside limits on nearby hotel bookings. It cited diplomatic sources but did not establish why the measures were imposed.

Kim Jong Un's China Visit Comes Amid Regional Tensions

It was Kim's sixth visit to China and his first since September 2025, when he attended a military parade in Beijing. Xi made a reciprocal visit to Pyongyang in June 2026, his first in nearly seven years.

North Korea also opened its first road bridge to Russia on 7 September, across the Tumen River. The new connections provide transport routes to two countries with which Pyongyang maintains close political and economic ties.

Relations with South Korea have meanwhile worsened. On 21 October, Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, said North Korea planned to resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts along the border before the month ended. Her statement did not establish that broadcasts had already begun.

The next major diplomatic gathering is the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting in Shenzhen, scheduled for 18 and 19 November. Speculation about possible talks between Kim and US President Donald Trump has grown, but neither side has announced a meeting.

Reuters reported on 23 October that US and South Korean officials saw little chance of such talks this year. Kim's Dandong visit brought no announcement changing that assessment or establishing new commitments over the bridge.