Russia and North Korea open first road bridge

MOSCOW: Russia and North Korea have opened their first road bridge across the Tumen River, marking another major step in the growing relationship between the two countries.

The one-kilometre, two-lane bridge connects Russia’s Primorsky region with North Korea. It was officially opened on Monday in a ceremony attended by senior officials from both sides.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and North Korean Premier Pak Thae Song addressed the ceremony through a video link.

Mishustin described the project as a historic development and a new symbol of friendship between Moscow and Pyongyang.

He said the new transport link could give a major boost to trade and wider economic cooperation between the two countries.

The bridge is expected to handle up to 300 vehicles a day. Trucks will begin using the route to transport goods, while passenger traffic is expected to start after the bridge becomes fully operational later this year.

The project had been discussed for several years. Construction began in April 2025 after Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to the plan during his visit to North Korea in 2024.

Russia and North Korea already have direct air and rail connections. However, they had never before had a dedicated road crossing between the two countries.

For decades, vehicles crossed the border using temporary wooden planks placed on an existing railway bridge. That bridge, known as the Friendship Bridge, was built in 1959 and had remained the main crossing point between the two countries.

The new bridge was constructed close to the railway crossing and has been named after Yakov Novichenko, a Soviet Red Army soldier whom North Korea credits with saving the life of its founding leader Kim Il Sung in 1946.

North Korean state media described the new bridge as an important piece of infrastructure that could expand trade, tourism, tourism-related exchanges and contacts between people on both sides.

The opening comes as relations between Moscow and Pyongyang have reached an unprecedented level in recent years.

The two countries have moved closer since Russia launched its war in Ukraine in 2022. North Korea has provided growing support to Moscow, including sending troops to Russia’s Kursk region after Ukrainian forces launched an incursion there in 2024.

During the bridge-opening ceremony, Mishustin praised what he called Korean soldiers who had fought alongside Russian forces and helped defend Russian territory.

The new road connection is therefore attracting attention beyond its economic significance.