Russia and North Korea Open First Road Bridge

North Korea and Russia opened their first road bridge on Monday, connecting the two countries across the Tumen River. Russia’s TASS state news agency said both sides hailed the project as an important milestone in their strategic partnership.

The bridge is located near the existing Friendship Bridge, a rail link commissioned in 1959 after the Korean War. Moscow and Pyongyang already have direct air and rail connections.

Speaking by video link at the opening ceremony, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said the new infrastructure would support trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation. He also said it should boost tourism and create new jobs.

The two countries had discussed building the road bridge for several years. Construction began in April last year after the project was agreed during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea in 2024.

Relations between Moscow and Pyongyang have strengthened since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022. North Korea sent thousands of troops to Russia’s Kursk region, where they helped repel a Ukrainian incursion in 2024.

(Reuters, bak)