Russia Deepens Connections With North Korea
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Construction has begun on a new bridge across the border river between Russia and North Korea.
During a groundbreaking ceremony, officials hailed the project—which will be the first road link between the two countries—as a symbol of strengthening ties and a boost for bilateral trade.
Why It Matters
The bridge is one of numerous initiatives to emerge from the comprehensive agreement signed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the latter's visit to the East Asian country last June. The accord also elevated Moscow-Pyongyang military cooperation to a level not seen since the Cold War.
This deepening alliance has heightened international concerns, particularly since thousands of North Korean troops joined Russia's war against Ukraine late last year.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry and North Korean embassy in China by email with a request for comment.
North Korean and Russian officials hold groundbreaking ceremony for a road bridge linking the two countries on April 30, 2025.
North Korean and Russian officials hold groundbreaking ceremony for a road bridge linking the two countries on April 30, 2025.
Korean Central News Agency
What To Know
Russia and North Korea are currently connected only by air and a single land route across their 10-mile border: the 66-year-old Korea-Russia Friendship Bridge.
Russian state media outlet TASS said the total length of the new project, including access roads, will be nearly 3 miles. The bridge span itself will be one kilometer long (0.6 miles), with two traffic lanes and a nearby checkpoint.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who participated in the ceremony via video link, hailed the construction as "truly a landmark moment for Russian—Korean relations."
North Korean state media outlet Korean Central News Agency described the bridge as a "substantial guarantee" of efforts to spur bilateral trade, tourism, and passenger travel.
Yet, the new road could also facilitate faster and greater movement of arms, munitions, equipment, and troops between the security partners.
As Russian stockpiles dwindled earlier in the Ukraine war, U.S. and South Korean officials believe North Korea shipped tens of thousands of containers' worth of munitions and weaponry to Russia.
Washington and its allies have also expressed concerns that Russia could be providing advanced weaponry and technical expertise for Kim's United Nations-sanctioned missile and nuclear weapons programs in exchange for troop deployments.
What People Are Saying
Yury Trutnev, deputy prime minister of Russia and presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, said during the ceremony, per TASS: "Today, our friendship and relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are strengthening. We really support each other. We have great respect for the support provided by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Therefore, the bridge will be another road of friendship."
What Happens Next
The bridge is expected to be completed in about 18 months, according to TASS.
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