Seoul [South Korea], October 24 (ANI): North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in China’s border city of Dandong via the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge linking the two countries, Yonhap News Agency reported on Saturday, citing a government source.
According to Yonhap, the government source confirmed that Kim arrived in Dandong through the bridge earlier in the day.
The development comes after China announced the opening of the new bridge across the Yalu River, which forms the border between China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), also known as North Korea.
According to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on October 14 that the bridge would facilitate trade and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
“As agreed upon by China and the DPRK, the bridge will officially open to traffic on Thursday, with both sides jointly holding an opening ceremony on that day,” Mao said at a regular press briefing.
Highlighting China and North Korea as "friendly neighbours connected by mountains and rivers," Mao said the new bridge was an important facility for connectivity between the two countries.
She added that the bridge was expected to boost bilateral trade and people-to-people exchanges and help improve the well-being of both peoples.
This comes as on Thursday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, warned that Pyongyang would deploy “new counter means” along its southern border and place propaganda loudspeakers targeting South Korea on standby within days.
“Our new counter means will get into the alert for duty at all the southern border line and the loudspeakers against the ROK will be on standby in a matter of days,” Kim Yo-jong said in a statement carried by North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), according to Yonhap News Agency.
According to Yonhap News Agency, her remarks came a day after she warned that North Korea would resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts towards South Korea later this month, signalling a further escalation in tensions between the two neighbours.
Kim also defended Pyongyang’s ongoing efforts to fortify its southern border, saying the construction project would continue within North Korean territory.
“Within the territory where our sovereignty is exercised, the permanent project for the southern border will be surely and successfully continued according to our purposes,” she said.
She further claimed that the project would reduce the risk of military confrontation between the two countries.
“If the permanent project for the southern border is carried out, the danger of military conflict between the DPRK and the ROK will be considerably lowered and many complicated problems will be solved,” she added.
The developments come amid unverified claims circulating on social media that Kim Jong-un had died following a severe cerebral haemorrhage. The reports have not been substantiated by independently verifiable evidence.
North Korea’s state media, meanwhile, released photographs of Kim Jong-un inspecting footwear and women’s clothing at an exhibition, according to the New York Post. The Korean Central News Agency reported that he visited the exhibition on Monday, although the images have not been independently authenticated.
The rumours gained traction after US-based Chinese dissident Wanjun Xie made claims on social media alleging that Kim had been hospitalised and that China had deployed troops to Pyongyang amid a potential succession crisis. However, the allegations were not accompanied by independently verifiable evidence. (ANI)
N Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrives in China’s Dandong via newly opened bridge: Report
