South Korea shows signs of Russia-North Korea ties, Moscow is not afraid to publicly announce a new plan with Pyongyang

On March 27, the South Korean Unification Ministry assessed that North Korea seems to be making moves to improve relations with China, but strengthening relations with Moscow remains Pyongyang's top priority.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (right) welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea in June 2024. (Source: KCNA)

"North Korea's diplomatic focus is on Russia," and Pyongyang "is seeking to maximize benefits from the troop deployment through comprehensive exchanges," the ministry said, Yonhap news agency reported.

According to the South Korean Unification Ministry, a sign of that bond is that since August 2023, North Korean President Kim Jong Un has used the word "comrade" when referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The ministry made the assessment after North Korea took its relations with Russia to a new level with leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signing a mutual defense treaty.

South Korea also assessed that Pyongyang now appears to be trying to further boost relations with China by seeking to resume group tours for Chinese tourists and restart construction of a bridge across the Yalu River on their side of the shared border.

Under a 2009 agreement between North Korea and China, the two countries began construction of a new bridge to replace the old railway bridge linking Xinyizhou with China’s Dandong the following year. The bridge structure was completed in 2014, but its opening was delayed, first by North Korea delaying the paving of the road and then by border controls related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

South Korea has found that recent satellite imagery shows large-scale customs facilities being built on the North Korean side of the bridge. The ministry estimates that the customs facilities cover an area of ​​about 172,500 square meters, surpassing the size of the Chinese facilities, which are about 150,000 square meters.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Russia's state news agency RIA quoted the country's Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora as saying that the two countries will soon start building a road bridge across the Tumen River.

“The construction of the bridge has not yet begun. The parties are carrying out preparatory work, completing design documents, forming construction teams and preparing equipment,” Matsegora said, noting that the road bridge will be 850 meters long and connected to the Russian road system.

The bridge is expected to create a dramatic increase in economic, social and military exchanges between the two countries, thereby leading to the gradual easing of international sanctions against North Korea and Russia.

The bridge project was agreed upon during President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea in 2024, when the two countries signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/han-quoc-chi-ra-dau-hieu-gan-ket-nga-trieu-tien-moscow-chang-ngai-cong-khai-mot-ke-haach-moi-voi-binh-nhuong-309031.html