North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over the Third Company Commanders' Conference of the Korean People's Army in Pyongyang on Wednesday and Thursday, delivering a speech on "building a powerful army in the new era and the mission of company commanders," KCNA reported Saturday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over the Third Company Commanders' Conference of the Korean People's Army in Pyongyang on Wednesday and Thursday, delivering a speech on "building a powerful army in the new era and the mission of company commanders," KCNA reported Saturday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who had been the subject of death rumors, visited China on Saturday.

Japan's Kyodo News earlier reported, citing diplomatic sources, that strict traffic controls had been imposed in parts of Dandong, a city in China's Liaoning Province that borders North Korea.

Kyodo said hotel reservations in the area had become unavailable, and observers note the traffic and accommodation restrictions are likely connected to a visit by a senior North Korean official.

Sunday marks the 76th anniversary of China's entry into the Korean War, when Beijing sent troops to fight alongside North Korea. Kyodo added that a North Korean delegation may be visiting China for events related to the occasion.

On Oct. 15, the New Yalu River Bridge linking Dandong and Sinuiju in North Korea's North Pyongan Province officially opened, 12 years after its completion, with observers expecting the crossing to boost the flow of people and goods between the two countries.


joze@heraldcorp.com