Construction of a new bridge that will become a "new artery" connecting North Korea and Russia is underway at the lowest reaches of the Tumen River. ASIAPRESS filmed the site from the Chinese side in September. We confirmed that both North Korea and Russia are gathering materials on their respective riverbanks, and that foundation work using Chinese-made large heavy equipment such as dump trucks and cranes is progressing steadily. (ASIAPRESS Editorial Team)
This is the border area at the lower Tumen River where North Korea, China, and Russia meet. Until now, the only land connection between North Korea and Russia was a railway bridge built in 1959. Through this railway bridge connecting Rason, North Korea, and Khasan, Russia, large quantities of weapons and ammunition appear to have been transported to Russia since around November 2022. The bridge under construction is located approximately 500 meters downstream from the railway bridge.
While landfill work on the Russian side has only progressed several dozen meters, on the North Korean side it had advanced to the middle of the river. Bridge piers had already been erected on the riverbank, and dump trucks were frequently coming and going to the earthwork stockpile area, transporting soil. A large building was also under construction slightly behind this stockpile area.
In June 2024, North Korea and Russia signed an "Agreement on the Construction of a Tumen River Border Road Bridge" alongside the "Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership." According to state media, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at the end of April this year. The closeness between Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin was clearly evident at the site.
Details can be seen in the video.
