New Yalu River Bridge Stalled for 12 Years Moves Toward Opening as North Korea Adds Customs Sign

[Financial News, Tokyo = Correspondent Seo Hye-jin] Japanese media reported on the 25th that construction of a customs facility on the North Korean side of the New Yalu River Bridge, which links the area near Sinuiju in North Korea with Dandong in China, is nearing completion, raising expectations that the bridge may soon open. The key route for North Korea-China trade, which has remained closed for 12 years even after the bridge itself was completed in 2014, could finally open in the near future.
According to Kyodo News, a sign reading "Sinuiju Customs" was recently installed on the exterior wall of the customs building on the North Korean side. An inspection area for trade goods is also being built nearby, and a large gate-like structure has been erected at the entrance leading into North Korea. Most of the building's exterior appears complete, but the status of the interior work has not been confirmed.
Radio Free Asia (RFA) also reported last month, based on analysis of commercial satellite images, that the customs office, warehouses, and logistics and security facilities in the North Korean section had taken on their overall exterior form. Construction on the North Korean side resumed early last year and picked up pace from February.
The New Yalu River Bridge was built to replace the aging Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge and expand trade and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. China and North Korea agreed to build the bridge following then-Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to North Korea in 2009, and China covered the construction costs, completing the bridge itself in 2014.
However, opening was delayed for years because construction of the connecting road and customs infrastructure on the North Korean side was held up, and the border was then sealed off during the COVID-19 pandemic. With customs and clearance facilities now nearing completion, expectations are growing that the bridge could officially open within this year.

[email protected] Reporter Seo Hye-jin Reporter