N. Korea, Russia hold ceremony to link cross-border bridge; completion set for mid-June

▲ This image from the Telegram channel of the Russian Embassy in North Korea shows a ceremony linking a cross-border bridge between North Korea and Russia over the Tumen River on April 22, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

N Korea-Russia-bridge

N. Korea, Russia hold ceremony to link cross-border bridge; completion set for mid-June

SEOUL, April 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea and Russia held a ceremony Tuesday to mark the linking of a cross-border road bridge over the Tumen River, the Russian Embassy in North Korea said, adding the bridge is set for completion in mid-June.

The two countries began constructing the road bridge in April last month following a summit meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2024 in Pyongyang.

Tuesday's ceremony, held in the border region to mark the linking of the bridge, was attended virtually by Russian Transport Minister Andrey Sergeyevich Nikitin and Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov, who serves as the Russian chair of the bilateral committee on trade and economic cooperation, according to the embassy's Telegram channel.

The embassy said the bridge is set for final completion on June 19.

In a separate statement, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova described the bridge as strengthening friendship with North Korea and symbolizing the neighbors' aspiration to expand regional cooperation, adding that it will boost productive dialogue and exchanges between them.

Currently, North Korea and Russia operate only a rail bridge over the Tumen River. The addition of a road bridge comes as Pyongyang and Moscow deepen their alignment since the North's troop deployment in support of Russia's war against Ukraine.

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