North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has publicly endorsed China's 'one-China' principle for the first time, pledging full support for Beijing's territorial integrity policies — widely understood as a reference to China's claim over Taiwan. The statement was made during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Pyongyang and reported by North Korea's state news agency KCNA. South Korea's unification ministry said the gesture signals a significant deepening of ties between Pyongyang and Beijing, which had appeared strained in recent years as North Korea aligned itself militarily and diplomatically with Russia.