Русский
The Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and his North Korean counterpart Pak Thae Song have opened a road bridge across the Tumannaya River on the border between the two countries.
The ceremony marking the completion of construction of the bridge on the border with the DPRK took place on Monday (September 7). The heads of government of the two states launched traffic on the bridge, which is named after Red Army officer and DPRK Hero of Labor Yakov Novichenko, via video link.
The agreement on the project’s implementation was signed in 2024 by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In April 2025, Mishustin and Pak Thae Song launched construction. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said during the opening ceremony, “We will ensure the implementation of decisions to expand Russian-Korean cooperation in all areas. We appreciate the sincere, candid dialogue of our leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of the DPRK State Affairs Commission Kim Jong Un. Construction of the bridge is not just an engineering project but a new symbol of friendship that will serve the peoples of Russia and North Korea for decades.”
A railway route currently operates across the Friendship Bridge over the Tumannaya River, but it was insufficient to meet transport needs. The road bridge will facilitate year-round traffic. After the opening ceremony, convoys of vehicles crossed the bridge from both sides.
The new bridge will enable businesses to significantly increase transport volumes and cut transportation costs, ensuring reliable and stable supplies of various products, which will contribute to expanding trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. Bilateral trade between the two countries is not disclosed but is likely to be in the tens of billions of dollars and to have overtaken Russia’s bilateral trade with South Korea.
The total length of the bridge crossing is almost 5 km, with the bridge itself spanning around 1 km. Two traffic lanes are available for vehicles. Additionally, the Khasan automobile border crossing point has been built, with the project providing for 10 traffic lanes. Once the border crossing point reaches full capacity, it will be able to handle 300 vehicles and over 2,300 people daily.
Russia and North Korea are already connected by a railway bridge across the Tumen River, as well as regular flights between Vladivostok and Pyongyang.
Russian and North Korean officials have also promoted North Korea as a new holiday destination since the country reopened to Russian tourists in 2024, with thousands of Russians visiting its newly opened beach resorts and ski slopes since then.
