North Korean leader Kim Jong Un returned home by road on Sunday after visiting a Korean War memorial in Dandong, a Chinese city near the North Korean border, according to North Korean state media.

Kim visited Dandong on Saturday and crossed a newly opened bridge linking North Korea with China, its largest trading partner. The crossing was viewed as a symbolic step toward strengthening economic cooperation between Beijing and Pyongyang.

North Korean state media focused heavily on the historical significance of the visit, portraying the two countries’ relationship as an “unbreakable” bond forged during the 1950-1953 Korean War.

During the visit, Kim said the North Korean people would “forever remember the glorious years of fighting alongside the Chinese people” and maintain “generational gratitude to the Chinese people who helped our revolution with blood,” according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The visit comes as China and North Korea seek to expand economic cooperation ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned trip to the region next month. It also underscores Pyongyang’s effort to balance its relationships with major powers while strengthening military cooperation with Russia over the past two years.

Kim last traveled to Beijing in September 2025 to attend a military parade, while Chinese President Xi Jinping visited North Korea in June.

According to KCNA, Kim viewed the newly inaugurated bridge from above and expressed confidence that it would fulfill its historical purpose of connecting the two countries and bringing their peoples closer together.

The two Koreas remain technically at war because the 1950-1953 conflict ended with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty.