Russia, North Korea open first road bridge as ties reach ‘unprecedented high level'

Russia and North Korea opened their first road bridge on Monday, giving the two countries a direct route for cars and trucks as relations between Moscow and Pyongyang continue to grow.

The two-lane bridge runs for around one kilometre over the Tumen River, which separates Russia's far east from North Korea.

And while the two neighbours already had rail and air links, they never had a proper road crossing.

For decades, the railway bridge built in 1959 was their only border crossing. Vehicles could only be moved across under special arrangements by placing planks over the railway tracks.

However, things changed on Monday with the inauguration of a new bridge as vehicles from the two countries were seen crossing into the other through the newly-built bridge.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and North Korean Prime Minister Pak Thae Song joined the opening ceremony through video link.

The Russian PM described the development as “genuinely historic,” adding that the relations between the two countries were at an “unprecedented high level.”

RT on X: "Russia and DPRK open the first road bridge between the two countries The bridge spans the Tumen River — 1 kilometer long Until now, the two were connected only by a single railway bridge, built back in 1959" / X

Russia and DPRK open the first road bridge between the two countries The bridge spans the Tumen River — 1 kilometer long Until now, the two were connected only by a single railway bridge, built back in 1959

The bridge can handle up to 300 vehicles every day and will be connected to Russia's federal road network, giving traffic from North Korea access to routes stretching from Vladivostok all the way to St Petersburg.

Cargo trucks can start using it immediately, while passenger traffic is expected to begin by the end of the year.

The project was agreed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea in 2024, with construction beginning in April last year.

Its opening comes as Moscow and Pyongyang have moved much closer since the Ukraine war began. North Korea sent thousands of soldiers to Russia's Kursk region to help Russian forces fight Ukrainian troops there.

Mishustin even referred to them during Monday's ceremony, praising North Korean soldiers who he said had fought “shoulder to shoulder” with Russian troops.

The new bridge also carries a symbolic name as it is named after Soviet soldier Yakov Novichenko, who North Korea credits with saving the life of its founding leader Kim Il Sung by intercepting a grenade thrown at him in 1946.