Following Death Rumors, an 'Unusual' Move: What Lies Behind Kim Jong Un's Visit to a Chinese Bus Factory?

[Anchor]

During his recent visit to China, Chairman Kim Jong Un repeatedly emphasized that North Korea-China relations are a "traditional blood alliance forged in blood." As if to demonstrate that international sanctions against North Korea no longer hold sway, he also personally toured a bus factory.

Reporter Kim Ayeong reports.

[Reporter]

North Korea's Korean Central Television today released an 18-minute edited video covering State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un's "one-day visit to China yesterday (October 24)."

As if seeking to highlight the historical ties between North Korea and China, the video opened with archival footage evoking the entry of Chinese soldiers into the Korean War.

Chairman Kim reportedly emphasized that relations between North Korea and China are a bond forged in blood.

[Korean Central Television: "Forever the invincible DPRK-China friendship forged in blood. We will never forget across generations the history of help provided in blood."]

While Chinese state media used the term "blood alliance" only once regarding North Korea-China ties, North Korean reports used similar expressions as many as six times.

Even without a North Korea-China summit between Chairman Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korea appears to be calculating that highlighting solidarity between the two nations and accentuating China's influence will bolster its bargaining leverage against the United States.

A separate video was also released showing Chairman Kim visiting a local bus factory in Dandong, China, touching components and boarding a bus himself, displaying keen interest.

Since UN Security Council sanctions resolutions ban the export of transportation vehicles to North Korea, some interpret his tour of the bus factory as an attempt to signal the neutralization of sanctions against North Korea or the strengthening of substantive cooperation between North Korea and China.

[Yang Moo-jin / Distinguished Professor at the University of North Korean Studies: "Could he have requested cooperation (regarding bus provisions)? Urging them to speed up. And further, suggesting that industrial cooperation such as bus assembly is also possible..."]

Chairman Kim was accompanied on his visit to China by his sister, Kim Yo-jong, director of the General Affairs Department of the Workers' Party of Korea, while his wife Ri Sol-ju and daughter Ju-ae were not seen.

[Anchor]

We explore more questions with political desk reporter Kim Ayeong.

Q. A visit to China without a summit is unusual, isn't it?

[Reporter Kim Ayeong: It is actually difficult to find precedent for a top leader to conclude an itinerary without even meeting the host country's head of state. It was understood that President Xi Jinping could not attend due to internal political events in China, but carrying out the itinerary in China as scheduled is very peculiar. Given that Chairman Kim Jong Un went directly to the North Korea-China border area instead of a high-ranking Chinese official visiting North Korea, we should view this as showing that the North Korean side had a stronger determination. There is also an interpretation that, from China's standpoint of having to manage US-China relations strategically, President Xi directly visiting the Memorial of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, which symbolizes confronting the United States, would not have been a desirable option.]

Q. What is the reason behind Kim Jong Un's surprise visit to China?

[Reporter Kim Ayeong: That is correct. China's war participation anniversary was actually not an occasion that North Korea had commemorated with great significance in the past. Therefore, making a visit to China on this occasion allows for analysis that there might be another timely meaning. In the middle of next month, a US-China summit will take place on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China. For North Korea, striving to showcase close ties with China at this juncture should be viewed as a strategic maneuver regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula. A South Korean government official also offered an interpretation that it is North Korea's way of raising the stakes with North Korea-US dialogue in mind. China also secures leverage against the United States by reaffirming its influence over North Korea. The fact that the diplomatic chiefs of both North Korea and China accompanied this trip, and that Chinese Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, a regular attendee at US-China summits, was present, suggests that the issue of North Korea-US dialogue may have been raised.]

Q. Rumors of his death circulated on social media... Was this to demonstrate robust health?

[Reporter Kim Ayeong: On social media, not only rumors of Kim Jong Un's death but also body double theories were buzzing, but they were actually baseless claims. Even after the death rumors, Chairman Kim had public schedules, but due to the nature of the North Korean system where information is tightly controlled, voices raising questions never completely disappeared. Since this trip involved contact with foreign dignitaries, it also serves North Korea's purpose of promoting that such rumors were false.]

Video by Cho Mu-hwan
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.