Opening of North Korea-Russia road bridge likely delayed, US think tank says
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Cars are parked around buildings along the North Korean border in the city of Hyesan, North Korea, on Sept 28, 2025.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- The opening of the North Korea-Russia road bridge is delayed as Russian-side facilities remain unfinished, despite an earlier mid-June target.
- The 850m bridge could boost logistics by over 40 per cent and reduce North Korea's reliance on China by enhancing ties with Russia.
- Delays raise questions about trust and coordination between Moscow and Pyongyang.
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SEOUL - North Korea and Russia appear unlikely to open a road bridge connecting their countries in the near term, despite an earlier mid-June target, after satellite imagery showed Russian-side facilities unfinished, US think tank 38 North said.
The 850m bridge, which will connect to Russia’s highway system, was agreed on during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in June 2024, and will be a first road link between the two. The Russian embassy in Pyongyang had said in April that it would open on June 19.
Analysts have said the bridge could eventually increase logistics activity by more than 40 per cent and help North Korea reduce its heavy reliance on China by deepening economic ties with Russia.
38 North, citing satellite imagery, said on June 30 that the bridge over the Tumen River appears complete and North Korean border facilities are largely finished, but much more work is needed on the Russian side before the crossing can become operational.
The North Korean side has a large warehouse, parking lot, paved access roads and what appears to be a completed frontier post, while Russia’s probable customs complex is far less advanced and is likely to be at least three times larger, the think tank said.
Russia’s transport ministry declined to comment. The North Korean embassy in Moscow did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The project has been a symbol of deepening ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. The two countries have drawn closer in recent years thanks to military exchanges surrounding Russia’s war in Ukraine that have in turn attracted scrutiny from the United States and South Korea.
Doo Jin-ho, head of the Eurasia Center at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy in Seoul, said the bridge had originally been expected to open by the end of 2026, and the accelerated June target appeared to have been more of a political “gift”.
Russia and North Korea held a ceremony in April to mark the linking of the bridge. Russia’s transport ministry has said the crossing would be able to handle up to 300 vehicles and 2,850 people a day.
Doo said the delay was unlikely to cause immediate economic damage, but raised questions about policy coordination between Moscow and Pyongyang.
“The issue is more about trust and symbolism than economic impact.” REUTERS