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Kim Jong-un Crosses New Yalu River Bridge into China
Confirmed
In Short: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un crossed into China via the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge, marking his first known trip abroad in over a year.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un crossed into China via the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge, a move that underscores the deepening economic ties between the two countries.
The bridge, which spans 3,026 meters across the Yalu River, was officially opened about a week ago, though it was completed 12 years earlier.
Experts say the bridge's opening has resolved a major bottleneck in China-North Korea trade logistics, potentially boosting bilateral trade.
Lu Chao, an expert at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, noted that the easing of logistics constraints could lead to further increases in trade.
Kim's trip comes amid deteriorating relations with South Korea and after rumors of his death circulated on social media.
State media in North Korea described the bridge as key infrastructure for economic cooperation, while Russian officials called it a 'milestone' in bilateral relations.
The bridge cost China approximately $310 million to build, with the accompanying border checkpoint expected to cost significantly more.
North Korea released new images of Kim hours after the death rumors spread, showing him at a public event in Pyongyang.
The visit marks the first time in eight days that state media released photographs of Kim at a public event, countering the rumors of his ill health.
What's confirmed
- China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
- “The opening of the bridge has resolved a major bottleneck in China-North Korea trade logistics,” Lu Chao, an expert in China-North Korea relations at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, a Chinese government think tank in Shenyang, told Reuters.
- “With the logistics constraint eased, bilateral trade is likely to increase further,” Lu said.
What's still developing
- Analysts say the visit represents part of Kim’s increasingly assertive foreign policy, as he seeks to align Pyongyang with Beijing and Moscow in a united front against the United States under what he portrays as a “new Cold War”.
- Kim arrived in Dandong through the New Yalu River Bridge connecting the two countries, the Reuters and AFP news agencies reported, quoting unnamed South Korean government officials.
- Crossing over Yalu River expected to boost bilateral trade after years of disruption A North Korean customs building at the end of the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge, which links the country to China: The crossing is expected to ease logistics bottlenecks and boost economic ties. © Reuters Kim arrived in Dandong through the New Yalu River Bridge connecting North Korea and China, the official said on condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
- "It is too early to divine Kim's intentions because he is only in Dandong," said Christopher Green, a Korea specialist at Leiden University in the Netherlands.
- According to the Ministry of Unification, Kim entered China via the bridge on the morning of the 24th.
- He initially claimed Kim had died and that China had sent 9,000 troops to Pyongyang over concerns about a possible succession crisis.
- North Korea appeared to push back against the rumors on Tuesday, as the state-run Korean Central News Agency and Korean Central Television reported that Kim Jong-un had visited the Garment and Footwear Exhibition in Pyongyang the previous day.
- The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) separately published a brief report on Monday’s missile test, claiming it heralded “an important change” in improving all weapons systems.
- In September 2014, the state news agency reported that Kim was suffering from "discomfort", and subsequently disappeared from public view for 40 days.
- International media, including The Sun, New York Post and India’s Economic Times, reported on social media rumors that North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un was in a coma after suffering a brain hemorrhage and had been rushed to the Beijing Union Medical College in China for urgent treatment.