North Korea and Russia begin work on first road link

A ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a bridge between North Korea and Russia, in Rason Municipality, North Korea (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

North Korea and Russia have begun building their first road link with the construction of a bridge over a border river hailed as a major development which will further expand their ties.

Russia’s Tass news agency reported on Wednesday that the bridge would be one kilometre long and its construction is expected to take one-and-a-half years, and North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the bridge would expand cross-border travel of people, tourism and circulation of commodities.