Following the signing of a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty” between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin last June, and the subsequent deployment of North Korean special forces to Ukraine, the construction of a road bridge—in addition to the existing railway—as the sole land link between North Korea and Russia, has been observed.

This will strengthen economic cooperation between North Korea and Russia in the short term, and in the long term will enhance cooperation in various areas including social and military matters, while also serving as a means to circumvent international sanctions imposed on both countries. Furthermore, it is expected to decrease North Korea’s dependence on China, increase its reliance on Russia, and ultimately shift the power balance in Northeast Asia.