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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly made a surprise visit to the Chinese border city of Dandong via a newly opened bridge linking the two countries, South Korean media reported Saturday, days after unsubstantiated death rumors spread across social media.
Kim crossed the New Yalu River Bridge, which connects Dandong in China's Liaoning province with the North Korean city of Sinuiju, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, citing an unidentified government source. The source provided no further details about the purpose of the visit.
The reported arrival followed days of online speculation about Kim's health, including unverified claims that he had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died after being taken to a hospital in Beijing.
North Korean state media reported on Oct. 20 that Kim had visited a garment and footwear exhibition in Pyongyang a day earlier, releasing photographs of him touring the event alongside his daughter, Kim Ju Ae. The reports did not directly address the rumors.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) dismissed the claims during a closed-door briefing to lawmakers on Friday, according to Yonhap.
South Korean reports indicated that Kim crossed the border aboard his special train. Japan's Kyodo News had earlier reported tighter traffic restrictions in parts of Dandong, citing diplomatic sources who linked the measures to an expected visit by a senior North Korean official.
Chinese and North Korean authorities had not immediately provided detailed public accounts of the visit.
Kim's visit came ahead of Oct. 25, the 76th anniversary of China's entry into the Korean War in support of North Korea. South Korean broadcaster KBS World reported that the trip marked his first visit to China in more than a year.
The visit also followed the Oct. 15 opening of the New Yalu River Bridge, which connects the Chinese border city of Dandong with North Korea's Sinuiju.
Construction was completed in 2014, but the four-lane crossing remained closed for 12 years because North Korea had not finished the connecting roads and customs facilities on its side.
Stretching 3,026 meters across the Yalu River, also known as the Amnok River in Korea, the bridge cost China about $310 million.
Its opening is expected to boost cross-border trade by providing a higher-capacity route for cargo trucks. The existing Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, which has handled most road freight between the two cities, has faced capacity constraints.
China remains North Korea's largest trading partner and a key source of economic, diplomatic and political support. Bilateral trade reached $2.3 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 18.6% from a year earlier, according to Chinese customs data.
Chinese exports to North Korea rose 12.1% to $1.8 billion, while imports from the country jumped 50.4% to $483.6 million.
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