North Korea media silent on restart of Pyongyang-Beijing train service

BEIJING – North Korea’s official newspaper Rodong Sinmun did not report on March 13 the resumption of a passenger train service the previous day between Pyongyang and Beijing after a six-year hiatus, while a local newspaper in a Chinese border city ran a front-page article.

Observers say North Korean media may have refrained from reporting on the matter, with Pyongyang worried about Beijing’s increasing economic presence in the country, which shut its borders in early 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The article run by the daily in Dandong, a border city in north-eastern China’s Liaoning province, apparently reflected local expectations that the restored train service will boost tourism and rejuvenate the economy.

The service linking the two capitals operates four times a week, while a daily train operation between Dandong and Pyongyang also resumed on March 12.

Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Wang Yajun greeted passengers arriving at a Pyongyang station on March 12, describing the resumption of the rail link as “a good development the people from both countries have been looking forward to and a significant event in bilateral relations”, according to the Chinese Embassy.

At present, cross-border train passengers are limited to diplomats and businesspeople, as North Korea has yet to restart visa issuance for tourists.

Some people aboard a train that left Dandong for Pyongyang on March 13 were seen taking pictures of the Yalu River on the China-North Korea border with their smartphones.

A North Korean train crew member said before departure: “We can arrive in Pyongyang in the same day. (Dandong) is very close.”

The passenger train service, which began in 1954, has long been regarded as a symbol of bilateral friendship. China is North Korea’s largest trading partner and long-time economic benefactor.

In a similar move, Air China will resume its direct flight service between Beijing and Pyongyang on March 30 following a hiatus of more than six years due to Covid-19, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The Chinese airline plans to operate flights linking the two capital cities every Monday, the source said. In 2023, North Korea’s state-run carrier, Air Koryo, resumed services between Pyongyang and Beijing following the pandemic.

Meanwhile, South Korean public broadcaster KBS on March 13 said a bridge for vehicle passage over the Tumen River near the North Korea-Russia border has recently been connected, citing high-resolution satellite images. Previously, there was only a bridge for trains over the river.

North Korea and Russia have been deepening their ties in recent years, with Pyongyang deploying thousands of troops to support Moscow in its war against Ukraine. KYODO NEWS