Korea–Russia Friendship Bridge
The Korea–Russia Friendship Bridge (Korean: 조선–로씨야 우정의 다리 Chosŏn–Rossiya Ujŏngŭi Dali, Russian: Мост Дружбы, romanized: Most Druzhby) is a rail bridge over the Tumen River. It was commissioned in 1959 as a replacement for a temporary wooden bridge.[1] Located immediately downstream from the China–North Korea–Russia tripoint, the bridge is the sole crossing point on the 17 km long North Korea–Russia border. Planks are laid between the tracks making crossing of road vehicles possible by special arrangement, but it is primarily a rail bridge.[2] The tracks are dual gauge because the Russian railroad system uses a track gauge of 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) while the North Korean system uses 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in). The bridge is served by the Khasan railway station on Russian soil and Tumangang Station on the North Korean side of the river.
Korea–Russia Friendship Bridge 조선–로씨야 우정의 다리 Мост Дружбы | |
|---|---|
 Friendship Bridge linking North Korea and Russia, as viewed from nearby Chinese territory | |
| Coordinates | 42°24′55″N 130°38′28″E |
| Carries | Trains |
| Crosses | Tumen River |
| Locale | Khasan, Tumangang |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Truss bridge |
| Total length | 623 m (2,044 ft) |
| History | |
| Opened | 9 August 1959 |
| Location | |
In October 2017 a fiber optic cable running across the bridge provided North Korea with an additional connection to the global Internet through Russia's TransTelekom provider, a subsidiary of Russian national railway operator Russian Railways.[3] It allows the country to be less dependent on its primary internet connection through China Unicom (similarly running over the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge), after it was the target of a DDoS attack during the 2017 North Korea crisis.[4]
Use of the bridge was suspended through the COVID-19 pandemic, with use resuming in November 2022.[5]
See also
References
- "Железнодорожные переговоры | www.logistics.ru". www.logistics.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2017-10-03.
- Strategic Thinking about the Korean Nuclear Crisis 0230116396 G. Rozman - 2011 "In 2001–2002 Russia's importance was stressed by the North and it has since served as a “little counterweight” to the four ... Barely ten freight cars a week crossed the “Friendship Bridge” into North Korea as reconstruction funds budgeted in ..."
- "Russia Provides New Internet Connection to North Korea | 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea". 38 North. 2017-10-01. Retrieved 2017-10-03.
- DeYoung, Karen; Nakashima, Ellen; Rauhala, Emily (2017-09-30). "Trump signed presidential directive ordering actions to pressure North Korea". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-10-03.
- Williams, Martyn; Makowsky, Peter (12 December 2022). "A North Korean Rail Yard Near Russia Springs to Life". 38 North. The Henry L. Stimson Center. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
