According to experts, the bridge over the Tumangan or Tumanaya River to Russia and the bridge being built to China contribute to changes that provide Pyongyang, burdened by Western sanctions, with long-sought economic and strategic opportunities.
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North Korea “will simultaneously secure two major land routes connecting it with Russia and China, allowing it to promote competition between the two countries and maximize the benefits received,” said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at South Korea’s Kyungnam University.
The professor noted that these bridges “could also be a message to the United States that North Korea has no reason to beg Washington to ease sanctions or make concessions on denuclearization in order to negotiate,” added Lim Eul-chul.
Moscow stated that the bridge was designed considering the growth in cargo transportation, with a capacity of up to 300 vehicles per day, complementing neighboring rail and air connections.
However, the Ukrainian human rights group “Truth Hounds” previously warned that the new bridge could become “a direct artery for North Korean soldiers, construction brigades, and military officials to move to Russia, while Russian technology and resources flow in the opposite direction.”
Moscow and Pyongyang have significantly strengthened military and economic ties since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
North Korea sent thousands of troops to Russia in 2024 to help repel Ukraine’s offensive in the Kursk region, and Kyiv accuses Moscow of continuous shelling using Pyongyang’s rockets.
South Korea’s central bank estimated in July that North Korea’s economy grew more than 3% for the third consecutive year in 2025, citing the expansion of economic cooperation with Russia as an important driver.
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A bank representative said that North Korea’s gross national income also “increased due to a sudden rise in foreign currency inflows” related to its troop deployment in Russia.
The Beijing, Moscow, and Pyongyang bloc
North Korean official Pak Thae-song, quoted by the official KCNA news agency, said that “the completion of the bridge is a significant event, providing a new dynamic impulse to overall bilateral cooperation.”
North Korea and China are already connected by the China-Korea Friendship Bridge, which regularly carries passenger trains, but its capacity is limited.
After a long break, the bridge was partially opened earlier this year and daily passenger train service with China was resumed, but tourist visa issuance for Chinese citizens, who previously made up the majority of foreign visitors, has not yet been restored.
North Korea has long strictly controlled foreign visitors and effectively closed its borders six years ago when the pandemic began.
Experts expect the new Yalu River bridge, intended as an alternative and eventually replacing the China-Korea Friendship Bridge, to be completed later this year.
The completion of the bridge “sends a political and geopolitical message showing the formation of the ‘continental triangle bloc of North Korea, China, and Russia,’” said Lim Eul-chul.
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