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Russia and North Korea Open First Road Bridge in Sign of 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
  • Russia and North Korea opened their first road bridge across the Tumen River, linking the two countries in a ceremony presented as a milestone in their strategic partnership.
  • The 1-kilometer bridge will initially carry cargo traffic, with passenger use expected by the end of the year and capacity for up to 300 vehicles a day.
  • The project follows a 2024 agreement between Vladimir Putin and North Korean officials, as bilateral ties have deepened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia and North Korea have opened their first road bridge, turning a long-discussed project into a highly choreographed display of their growing friendship. The 1-kilometer, two-lane structure crosses the Tumen River, where flag-adorned trucks made the first crossing on Monday.

I am convinced that the expansion of cross-border transport infrastructure will provide a powerful impetus for the further development of trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation.

· Mikhail MishustinThe Russian prime minister described the bridge’s expected impact on bilateral ties.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and North Korea’s Premier Pak Thae Song addressed workers and officials by video link. Mishustin described the bridge as “a genuinely historic event” and “a new symbol of friendship,” saying it would give fresh impetus to trade and cooperation in economic, scientific, technological and cultural fields.

The bridge will begin carrying cargo immediately, according to the Russian government. It can handle up to 300 vehicles a day and will connect to Russia’s federal road network, with access to the transport corridor linking Vladivostok and St Petersburg. Passenger traffic is expected to begin once the bridge becomes fully operational at the end of the year.

At an unprecedented high level

· Mikhail MishustinMishustin characterized the current state of relations between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Until now, the countries had air and rail links but no proper road crossing. Since 1959, vehicles had crossed by means of planks laid over the nearby rail bridge, the only border crossing between the two countries for decades. The new bridge stands near that structure, known as the Friendship Bridge, which was commissioned after the Korean War.

A genuinely historic event

· Mikhail MishustinHe used the phrase to describe the bridge’s opening.

The new crossing carries 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. Mishustin also praised “the Korean heroes who, only recently, fought shoulder to shoulder with our soldiers and defended Russian soil,” referring to North Korean troops sent to Russia’s Kursk region after a Ukrainian incursion in 2024.

A new symbol of friendship

· Mikhail MishustinMishustin framed the bridge as more than an engineering project.
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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