North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who was recently rumored to have died after collapsing from a cerebral hemorrhage, has made a surprise visit to China.
South Korea's Ministry of Unification said today (October 24) that Kim arrived in Dandong, Liaoning Province, China, via the New Yalu River Bridge.
The New Yalu River Bridge connects North Korea's Sinuiju with China's Dandong and officially opened on October 15.
Although completed in 2014, its opening had been delayed due to reasons such as incomplete connecting roads; having recently officially opened, it is regarded as a new symbol of logistics exchange between North Korea and China.
Kim's visit to China appears to be aimed at attending an event commemorating the 76th anniversary of China's entry into the Korean War, scheduled for tomorrow (October 25).
As Kim has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping during each of his previous five visits to China, a North Korea-China summit is expected to be held this time as well.
Earlier, Japanese media outlets, including Kyodo News, reported that strict traffic controls were implemented in parts of Dandong and that reservations at local hotels were completely unavailable, suggesting that a top-level North Korean official appeared to be visiting China.
News of Kim's visit to China is drawing particular attention because rumors that something had happened to him had been spreading rapidly online.
The rumors claimed that Kim had collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage, fallen into a coma, and died while undergoing surgery in Beijing, China. Even though North Korea released a series of recent photos of Kim, the rumors did not subside, with claims of "AI manipulation" and a "Kim Jong Un body double" emerging.
The National Intelligence Service eventually delivered a closed-door briefing to lawmakers on the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee yesterday, stating that the "rumors of Kim Jong Un's death" were not true.
Amid the spreading rumors of his death, North Korea released photos on October 20 of Kim visiting a clothing and footwear exhibition with his wife Ri Sol-ju and daughter Kim Ju-ae, followed today by photos of Kim presiding over the 3rd Conference of Company Commanders of the Korean People's Army.
Reported by Kim Min-jeong | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.