Unification ministry hopes Kim's Dandong trip revives dialogue

The Korea Times - Oct 26, 2026

The unification ministry said Monday it hopes North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's one-day trip to the Chinese border city of Dandong last week will lead to the resumption of dialogue with neighboring nations. Kim made a surprise visit to Dandong on Saturday, where he met with Wang Huning, China's fourth-highest-ranking official, as North Korea and China are seeking to deepen their traditional ties. "We hope the visit will contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and lead to the resumption of dialogue with neighboring countries," Yoon Min-ho, the ministry's spokesperson, said at a regular briefing. Responding to speculation that Kim's trip could be linked to a potential summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Yoon said the government was "watching closely" and would do what it could in the event of such a meeting. On Kim's visit to a bus factory in Dandong, he said the ministry would watch developments without drawing conclusions, since North Korea had not specified the purpose of the visit. The factory stop was seen as a sign that Pyongyang wants to expand cooperation with

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