North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has returned home by road after visiting the Chinese border city of Dandong, where he toured a Korean War memorial and crossed a newly opened bridge linking the two countries.
The visit placed renewed emphasis on the historic relationship between North Korea and China, its largest trading partner, amid efforts by Beijing and Pyongyang to expand economic ties.
North Korean state media described the relationship as an “unbreakable” bond forged during the 1950-1953 conflict. During the tour, Kim said his people would “forever remember the glorious years of fighting alongside the Chinese people”.
He also spoke of “generational gratitude to the Chinese people who helped our revolution with blood”, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
At the midpoint of the bridge, Kim expressed the expectation that it would fulfil its “historic mission” of connecting the two countries and bringing their peoples closer together.
The visit is seen as part of a renewed effort to strengthen China-North Korea economic relations ahead of a planned regional trip by US President Donald Trump in November.
It also comes as Pyongyang continues to deepen military ties with Moscow, creating a diplomatic balancing act for Kim. He last visited Beijing in September 2025 for a military parade, while Chinese President Xi Jinping travelled to North Korea in June.
The two Koreas remain technically at war, after the 1950-1953 conflict ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
