Strict Security as New Yalu River Bridge Opens... Accelerating North Korea-China Economic Ties

Chinese trucks flying the Chinese national flag and North Korean trucks flying the North Korean flag pass over the bridge, sounding their horns.

Officials from both China and North Korea wave at the passing trucks.

This is the official opening of the New Yalu River Bridge connecting Dandong in China's Liaoning Province and Sinuiju in North Korea.

With a total length of 3,026 meters and four lanes in both directions, the New Yalu River Bridge was completed by the Chinese side in 2014 at a cost of about 440 billion South Korean won.

However, as connection roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side were not in place, traffic has been repeatedly delayed. Today, the official opening ceremony was held amid tight security.

[Jung Eun-i / Senior Research Fellow, North Korea Research Division, Korea Institute for National Unification: It is a modern bridge with high pylons and cable-stayed design. I think it has established the physical conditions for expanding economic cooperation between North Korea and China.]

With the opening of the New Yalu River Bridge, North Korea has expanded its road connectivity with China, following the Tumen River automobile bridge connecting Rason and Khasan, Russia.

In a video congratulatory address at the opening ceremony, Chinese Premier Li Qiang explained that the opening of the New Yalu River Bridge will greatly promote economic and trade cooperation between the two countries and make human exchanges even closer.

[Dandong Resident: I think if North Korea and China can cooperate, it will bring significant benefits to both countries.]

Of course, the opening of the new bridge does not mean that North Korea-China trade will immediately recover to levels seen before the UN Security Council sanctions.

This is because restrictions on trade in North Korean coal, seafood, and textile products, as well as restrictions on employment and income-generating activities of North Korean overseas workers, remain in place.

However, concerns are rising that as trade in livelihood goods and detour transactions become easier, economic ties between the two sides will deepen, ultimately potentially neutralizing the sanctions.

In addition, there are forecasts that if North Korea gains greater capacity to secure economic support backed by China and Russia, it will feel less need for cooperation with South Korea, which could consequently serve as an opportunity to cement North Korea's "hostile two-state" stance.

(Reported by Choi Go-un | Video editing by Jang Hyun-ki | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.