The opening of the New Amnok River Bridge, which connects North Korea and China, has been postponed indefinitely. Initially scheduled to open in October, the bridge's completion has been delayed due to slow construction progress on the North Korean side, according to a Chinese official who spoke on the condition of anonymity on September 17.
Currently, the existing bridge, known as the North Korea-China Friendship Bridge, features a railway on one side and a single-lane road on the other, allowing only 150 to 200 vehicles to cross daily. To improve trade and transportation, both countries agreed to construct the New Amnok River Bridge, which was completed in 2014. While the construction on the Chinese side is finished, the bridge has not opened due to incomplete access roads, customs facilities, and quarantine measures on the North Korean side.
In September of last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Beijing to attend the 80th anniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, where he met with President Xi Jinping. During a summit in June, Xi emphasized the need to fully restore border trade and increase people-to-people exchanges. Kim responded by calling for enhanced cooperation in economic trade and infrastructure development.
Since then, both countries aimed to open the bridge on October 6, coinciding with the 77th anniversary of diplomatic relations between North Korea and China. However, the Chinese official stated, "Due to the slow progress of construction on the North Korean side, the October 6 opening is impossible, and the opening this year is effectively canceled." This official works in a sector overseeing North Korea-China trade. He noted that the customs building, immigration office, and large logistics warehouse are still incomplete, and the necessary software for customs and immigration operations has not been finalized. He added that, according to North Korean sources, various internal and external factors have hindered construction progress, and the bridge will not be ready for opening until at least early next year.
China has announced that once the four-lane New Amnok River Bridge opens, it could accommodate up to 20,000 vehicles and 50,000 passengers daily. However, considering North Korea's infrastructure capabilities, initial estimates suggest it may only handle 500 vehicles and 300,000 to 600,000 tons of cargo.
Meanwhile, trade between North Korea and China reached approximately $1.5 billion in the first half of this year, a 19.6% increase compared to the previous year. The annual trade volume for 2025 is projected to be around $2.7 billion, recovering to 98% of the level seen in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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