September 14, 2026

On the Highway to... North Korea


On the Highway to... North Korea
The Yakov Novichenko bridge. Federal Road Agency of the Russian Federation (Rosavtodor).

The first roadway between Russia and North Korea is now open to vehicle traffic, and tourists may soon follow.

Spanning the Tuman River, the Yakov Novichenko bridge connects the Russian town of Khasan to the North Korean Tumangang neighborhood. Previously, the only crossing between the two countries was the aging Friendship Bridge, built in 1959 for rail traffic.

Construction began in spring 2025, after Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang the year before to meet with Kim Jong Un. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin attended the construction ceremony, where he expressed high hopes for the project’s future: “This is truly a significant step for Russian-[North] Korean relations… it symbolizes our shared ambition toward strengthening friendly, neighborly relations and expanding interregional cooperation.”

The new two-lane bridge is named after Yakov Novichenko, a Red Army officer stationed in Pyongyang. His name has enjoyed a cult-like status since 1946, when he saved Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s founder, from a grenade thrown by an assassin. In recognition of his noble action, Novichenko received the Hero of Labor, one of North Korea’s highest honors. He is still the only foreign recipient of the award.

Although the bridge is currently open only to cargo traffic, a high-volume border crossing in Khasan is nearing completion. The project expects to open ten traffic lanes to accommodate more than 2,000 people every day.

Within the year, the bridge is expected to open to Russian tourists (it's unlikely a flow will go the other way). With North Korea becoming a popular destination for Russian travelers, a road trip to the country could soon be an easy bucket-list item for those seeking dictator-ly thrills.

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