"Sinuiju Customs" Sign Appears on North Korean Side of New Yalu River Bridge, Raising Expectations for Imminent Opening

▲ New Yalu River Bridge

Japanese media reported today (the 25th) that customs construction on the North Korean side of the New Yalu River Bridge, which connects Sinuiju, North Korea, and Dandong, China, is nearing completion, raising expectations that the bridge's opening is imminent.

Kyodo News reported that it confirmed a sign reading "Sinuiju Customs" has been attached to the outer wall of a building on the North Korean side, as customs construction enters its final stages for the bridge, which has remained unopened since its construction was completed in 2014.

Last month, Radio Free Asia (RFA) also reported, based on an analysis of commercial U.S. satellite imagery, that buildings on the North Korean side intended to house warehouses, logistics facilities, customs, and security facilities have taken on their overall exterior shape as framing and roof construction progressed.

It was reported that a customs inspection area is being set up around the customs building, and a large gateway-style structure is also under construction at the entrance leading into North Korea across the bridge.

The New Yalu River Bridge is considered a key piece of infrastructure for expanding trade and human exchanges between North Korea and China.

While the older Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge upstream was completed by Japan in 1943 during the Second Sino-Japanese War, it has grown aging. Consequently, the two countries agreed to build a new bridge during former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to North Korea in 2009, and construction began in 2010.

Although China funded and completed the main body of the bridge in 2014, its opening had been indefinitely delayed due to North Korea's financial difficulties, shortages of construction resources, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Construction resumed in January of last year, and given recent trends in North Korea-China exchanges, outlooks suggest it is highly likely to officially open within this year.

(Photo: Yonhap News)

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