Russia opens first road bridge to North Korea across Tumen River
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Russia opened the first road bridge to North Korea on September 7, spanning the Tumen River between Primorsky Krai and North Korea. The bridge is about one kilometer long with two lanes, and a new border checkpoint named Khasan was built nearby with ten lanes and capacity for 300 vehicles per day. Full traffic through the checkpoint will launch only at the end of the year.
Key Facts
- The bridge is about one kilometer long and has two traffic lanes.
- A new border checkpoint named Khasan was built nearby with ten lanes and capacity for 300 vehicles per day.
- The bridge was named after Red Army officer Yakov Novichenko, who saved North Korean founder Kim Il Sung from an assassination attempt in 1946.
- The bridge is located near the 'Friendship Bridge' railway crossing built in 1959 after the Korean War.
- Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said the bridge would boost tourism, create jobs, and strengthen trade, economic, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation.
Bridge Opening
The first road bridge between Russia and North Korea opened on September 7 across the Tumen River on the border of Primorsky Krai and North Korea, according to the Russian government press service. The bridge is about one kilometer long with two lanes, and previously the only land connection between the countries was by rail. The bridge is located near the 'Friendship Bridge' railway crossing built in 1959 after the Korean War. Both sides recognized the structure as an important step in strengthening mutual strategic partnership, according to TASS.
Border Checkpoint
A border checkpoint named Khasan was built next to the bridge with ten lanes and capacity for 300 vehicles per day. Full traffic through the checkpoint will be launched only at the end of the year. The bridge was named after Red Army officer Yakov Novichenko, who in 1946 saved North Korean founder Kim Il Sung from an assassination attempt by covering a grenade thrown at him. Novichenko was seriously wounded but survived, and at the ceremony the Russian column was led by his Zaporozhets car driven by his grandson.
Construction History
The sides agreed on the bridge construction during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea in June 2024. Work began in April 2025. The construction project had been discussed for years, and final agreement was reached during Putin's 2024 visit to North Korea, with practical start given in April of last year. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, speaking via video link at the opening ceremony, said the bridge would boost tourism, create jobs, and strengthen trade, economic, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation. Relations between the two countries have significantly tightened since the conflict in Ukraine began in 2022, with Pyongyang sending thousands of troops to Russia to help fight Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region.
2 sources
Time · lag behind first