The Japan Times - N. Korea calls Russia bridge a sign of tighter ties

The bridge over the Tumen river, which Russia said is designed to accommodate a projected growth in freight and passenger traffic, adds to the rail and air links between the neighbours.

The ceremony on Monday marking its opening came as Russia and North Korea have heavily boosted military and economic ties since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022.

"The completion of the bridge is a significant event adding a new dynamic movement to the overall bilateral cooperation," North Korean official Pak Thae Song said, according the official KCNA news agency.

Video published by the Russian government showed trucks from both sides crossing the bridge, as crowds lining the road applauded.

"The launch of the first automobile route will further strengthen the connection between our friendly countries," Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said in a video link at the ceremony.

KCNA added that the new bridge ensures "safe passage of various forms of transport and the movement of people," and has "strengthened a key infrastructure component for economic cooperation between North Korea and Russia."

North Korea dispatched thousands of troops to Russia in 2024 to help ward off a Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region, while Kyiv has accused Moscow of using North Korean missiles in its nightly barrages.

The two countries signed a defence treaty in 2024 that provides for mutual support if either country is attacked.

One of the world's most isolated and repressive countries, North Korea bars most its citizens from leaving and heavily monitors incoming travellers.

Russian tourism to North Korea has increased in recent years, although Pyongyang sometimes closes its border at short notice.

South Korea's central bank estimated in July that North Korea's economy grew more than three percent for a third straight year in 2025, citing it's expansion of economic cooperation with Russia as a "major drive."

The bank's official said North Korea's gross national income also "received a boost from a sharp rise in foreign currency earnings" linked to the deployment of its troops to Russia.

Ukrainian rights group Truth Hounds, meanwhile, previously warned that the new bridge could become "a direct artery for moving North Korean troops, construction brigades and military officials into Russia, with Russian technology and resources flowing in the opposite direction".

H.Nakamura--JT