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Russia and North Korea open their first road bridge
A roughly 1-kilometer bridge connecting Russia and North Korea across the Tumen River opened on Monday. The 9-billion-ruble crossing is planned to serve 300 vehicles and 2,300 people daily.
The transport link between Russia and North Korea expanded with the opening of a two-lane road bridge built over the Tumen River. The roughly 1-kilometer bridge opened to traffic on Monday after months of delays.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and North Korean Prime Minister Pak Thae Song attended the opening ceremony via video link. Mishustin said relations between the two countries had reached an “unprecedentedly high level” within the framework of a comprehensive strategic partnership. He said the 9-billion-ruble bridge would boost trade and tourism.
Link named after Yakov Novichenko
The new crossing is named after Yakov Novichenko, a Soviet officer who is said to have protected North Korean founder Kim Il Sung from a grenade explosion in Pyongyang in 1946.
Previously, the connection between Russia and North Korea was limited to a railway bridge built in the 1950s. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed the formal agreement to build the new bridge at a 2024 summit in Pyongyang.
Construction began in April 2025. North Korea completed its section ahead of the date scheduled for June 19, 2026, but the bridge’s opening was delayed by several months because of delays on the Russian side.
Border crossing designed to handle 300 vehicles daily
The border crossing established alongside the bridge is planned to connect Russia’s Primorye region with North Korea and serve 300 vehicles and 2,300 people a day.
Some observers suggested that the new route could allow military cargo and personnel to be transported more covertly between Russia and North Korea. The government-funded Institute for National Security Strategy in South Korea estimated that North Korea’s 2025 shipments to Russia of rocket artillery, artillery shells and short-range ballistic missiles were worth between $7 billion and $13.8 billion.
Russia and North Korea have deepened their military ties since the invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. In 2024, the two countries signed a mutual defense agreement providing for military support if either side is attacked.
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