Kim Jong-un crossed the New Yalu River Bridge on China's Participation in the War... Highlighting blood alliance and strategic relationships

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Ha Chae-rim = North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un visited Dandong, China through the New Yalu River Bridge on the 24th, and the background is attracting attention.

Considering the timing and route of the visit to China, some interpret it as a visit to show off the traditional blood alliance between the two countries and to seek the development of strategic relations.

According to government sources, Chairman Kim visited Dandong, Liaoning Province, China, via the New Yalu River Bridge, which officially opened on the 15th of this month.

According to Rep. Yoon Kun-young, a ruling party secretary on the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee, Chairman Kim met with Chinese Premier Li Chang in Dandong, and it is highly likely that he will end his China schedule that day and return to Pyongyang.

If it were a one-day trip, Chairman Kim would likely have met with Prime Minister Li Chang in Dandong and visited the 'Anti-American Assistance Memorial Hall' in Dandong.

Chairman Kim's visit to China appears to have been made for the purpose of emphasizing the blood alliance between North Korea and China and showing off the strategic relationship between the two countries, given that it was made by crossing the recently opened New Yalu River Bridge a day before the 'Anti-American Assistance Memorial Day' (October 25) commemorating China's participation in the Korean War.

North Korea and China have emphasized the 'strategic nature and direction' of their bilateral relationship since Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea in June this year.

Specifically, there is a possibility that discussions were held on expanding economic exchanges and cooperation in the military field between the two countries through the New Yalu Bridge, which opened 12 years after its completion.

Park Jong-cheol, a China expert and professor of political science at Gyeongsang National University, speculated, “Unlike Russia, China is in the position of complying with the international community’s sanctions against North Korea, but North Korea will want to change its sanctions policy toward China.”

It is noteworthy whether there may have been follow-up discussions regarding the 'military exchange' mentioned by President Xi at the June summit.

Attention is also focused on whether there have been discussions between North Korea and China regarding the possibility of holding a North Korea-US summit within the year, which U.S. President Donald Trump has mentioned several times recently.

Previously, President Lee Jae-myung emphasized China's role in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue at occasions such as the Korea-China summit.

In particular, there are predictions that China may take on the role of mediator in North Korea-US dialogue ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting to be held in Shenzhen, China.

However, given that Chairman Kim met with Prime Minister Li Chang, the economic commander, rather than with President Xi Jinping, China's top leader, this gives weight to the observation that discussions related to the North Korea-US summit may not have taken place.

Given that Chairman Kim's visit to China is too short to discuss the issue of resumption of North Korea-US dialogue, and that Prime Minister Ri Chang is not Chairman Kim's counterpart to discuss North Korea-US dialogue issues, the prevailing view is that the main purpose of this visit will be to highlight blood ties and discuss strengthening economic cooperation.

There is also an analysis that this visit to China is intended to show that Chairman Kim, whose death has recently been rumored mainly on overseas social media, is alive and well.

The 'Kim Jong-un death rumor' recently spread by a Chinese dissident living overseas has been expanded and reproduced through domestic and foreign media, but North Korea's state-run media has already dispelled this rumor by publishing photos of Chairman Kim's attendance at a military event.

Our government is paying close attention to the background of Chairman Kim’s visit to China.

In response to the news of Chairman Kim's visit to China, a Blue House official said, "We are closely watching related trends," and added, "At this stage, when there is no official announcement from both North Korea and China, we are considering several possibilities."