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North Korea and Russia Open First Road Bridge, Signaling Closer Ties

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • North Korea and Russia opened their first road bridge, a 1-kilometer crossing over the Tumen River, in a ceremony attended remotely by senior officials from both countries.
  • Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said the bridge could handle up to 300 vehicles daily and would initially carry freight before opening to passenger traffic later this year.
  • The crossing adds a road link to existing air and rail connections as Moscow and Pyongyang deepen cooperation amid the war in Ukraine.

The first flag-adorned trucks rolled across a new 1-kilometer road bridge linking North Korea and Russia on Monday, turning a long-discussed project into a visible symbol of their closer partnership.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and North Korea’s Premier Pak Thae Song addressed workers and officials by video link during the carefully choreographed opening. The two-lane bridge spans the Tumen River and provides the countries with a proper road connection for the first time.

At an unprecedented high level

· Mikhail MishustinThe Russian prime minister described the state of relations between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Russia and North Korea already have direct air and rail links. Since 1959, however, vehicles had crossed the border using planks placed on a nearby railway bridge, which had been the only crossing point under a special arrangement.

Mishustin said the expansion of cross-border transport would boost trade and cooperation in economic, scientific, technological and cultural fields. He described relations between Moscow and Pyongyang as being “at an unprecedented high level” and called the opening “a genuinely historic event.” He also called the bridge “a new symbol of friendship.”

A genuinely historic event

· Mikhail MishustinMishustin characterized the opening of the first road bridge between the countries.

The Russian government said trucks would begin carrying cargo immediately. The bridge is expected to become fully operational by the end of the year and could then handle passenger traffic. Mishustin said up to 300 vehicles would be able to cross each day, with connections to Russia’s federal road network and the transport corridor linking Vladivostok to St Petersburg.

A new symbol of friendship

· Mikhail MishustinMishustin described the bridge’s political significance beyond its engineering function.

Built near the existing Friendship Bridge, the new crossing bears the name of Yakov Novichenko, a Red Army soldier whom Pyongyang credits with saving Kim Il Sung’s life in 1946 by intercepting a grenade.

Relations have strengthened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. North Korea has sent thousands of troops to Russia’s Kursk region to help repel a Ukrainian incursion in 2024. Mishustin referred to them as “the Korean heroes who, only recently, fought shoulder to shoulder with our soldiers and defended Russian soil.”

The Korean heroes who, only recently, fought shoulder to shoulder with our soldiers and defended Russian soil

· Mikhail MishustinMishustin referred to North Korean troops who Russia says helped defend its Kursk region.
About this summary

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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