[Editorial] Seoul must be ready for anything with North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (right) shakes hands with Wang Huning, China’s No. 4 official and chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, during a visit to Dandong, China, on Oct. 24, 2026. (KCNA/Yonhap)

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s surprise visit to the Chinese border city of Dandong on Saturday signaled Pyongyang’s push to deepen ties with Beijing, particularly economic cooperation, amid the opening of a new cross-border bridge on Oct. 115 and commemorations marking China’s entry into the Korean War on Oct. 25.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is set to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, on Nov. 18-19.

It remains unclear whether Kim will focus on further strengthening ties with China and Russia for now or seize the opportunity presented by Trump’s visit to China to pursue a summit with the United States.

Either way, South Korea must respond with care and flexibility to safeguard its national interests.

Kim visited Dandong, Liaoning Province, where he was accompanied by Wang Huning, China’s No. 4 official, during a visit to the Memorial of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea on Saturday, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday. 

While visiting the museum, Kim vowed to “firmly carry forward forever the invincible bilateral friendship forged at the cost of blood,” and to “always remember generation after generation the history when the excellent sons and daughters of the Chinese people helped our revolution at the cost of their blood.”

Wang responded by saying, “Both sides should strengthen strategic communication and collaboration to foster a peaceful and stable external environment for safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security and development.”

Since taking power in 2011, Kim has visited China five times before 2026: four times in 2018-19, when he was engaged in denuclearization talks with the US, and once in September 2025, when he attended a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of China’s victory in World War II.

During each previous visit, Kim met Chinese President Xi Jinping and held in-depth strategic conversations. However, a summit was omitted from this one-day itinerary. 

As such, it seems unlikely that the two countries engaged in meaningful conversations focusing on sensitive issues, such as whether Trump will visit China or if a North Korea-US bilateral summit will take place.

When asked on Oct. 19 whether he expected to schedule a North Korea-US summit soon, Trump gave a disappointing answer: “I don’t know.”

Over the past year, Seoul has sought to reopen channels of communication with Pyongyang, which remain firmly closed, by positioning itself as a facilitator — or “pacemaker” — of US efforts to engage the North in dialogue.

However, ever since the disastrous mine explosion at the Korean border on Sept. 21, relations between the two Koreas have become more strained, and the likelihood of a North Korea-US summit coming to fruition seems low. 

If North Korea and the US do miraculously participate in a bilateral summit, South Korea must make every diplomatic effort to ensure it is not sidelined. If the talks fail to materialize, Seoul should reassess and adjust aspects of its North Korea policy.

No matter which path we find ourselves on, no journey will be easy. We must be armed with a great sense of determination while responding to future situations.