Russia and North Korea opened their first road bridge Monday, creating a new direct transportation route between the two countries as their military and economic partnership continues to deepen.
The bridge spans the Tumen River and sits near the existing Friendship Bridge, a railway crossing commissioned in 1959 following the Korean War. Russia and North Korea already maintain rail and air connections, but the new crossing is their first direct road link.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin participated in the opening ceremony by video and predicted that the bridge would create jobs and significantly expand tourism, trade and economic cooperation.
Mishustin said the broader cross-border transportation network could also strengthen scientific, technological and cultural cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Plans for the bridge had been discussed for years. Construction finally began in April 2025 after the project was agreed upon during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 2024 visit to North Korea.
Relations between the two countries have expanded dramatically since Russia launched its war against Ukraine in 2022. North Korea later sent thousands of troops to Russia’s Kursk region to help Russian forces push back Ukrainian troops following Kyiv’s 2024 incursion.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
