Will the North Korea-Russia Railway Connect? "Far East Primorsky Krai Proposes Opening Passenger Rail Line to North Korea"

Governor Kozyamako of Primorsky Krai Announces Plan
Group Tour to Pyongyang from Primorsky Krai on the 9th of Next Month

The government of Russia's Primorsky Krai is reportedly pushing to open a passenger railway line to North Korea within this year. Following military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, economic cooperation is also being 'implemented,' suggesting that North Korea's border opening will gradually expand within the year.

Local media such as Interfax and RBC reported on the 14th (local time) that Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of Primorsky Krai, revealed these plans to reporters. However, there remains a challenge to operate a regular passenger railway line connecting North Korea and Russia due to technical issues such as the different track gauges (the distance between the two rails) used by the two countries.

Russian Special Train Arriving at Nanjin Port, North Korea
Photo by Yonhap News

Currently, North Korea uses the standard gauge of 1,435 mm between rails, while Russian railways use the broad gauge of 1,520 mm. Because of this, although railway infrastructure has been established between Hassan Station in Primorsky Krai and Rajin Port in North Korea, only freight trains operate on this route.

There are also reports that group tourists from Primorsky Krai in Russia will visit North Korea next month. On February 9, group tourists from Primorsky Krai are scheduled to be sent to North Korea. The tourists are expected to stay in North Korea for five days and visit sites including the Pyongyang Arch of Triumph, the Juche Tower, Kim Il-sung Square, and the Masikryong Ski Resort.

If the plan for Russian tourists to visit North Korea is realized, it will mark the first time North Korea has opened its borders to civilians since the COVID-19 pandemic. North Korea closed its borders in January 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and has prohibited tourist entry until now.

Governor Kozhemyako said regarding the railway line opening, "Until now, due to the condition of the railway and the difference in track gauge, we could not reach Pyongyang," adding, "We are reviewing ways to at least resolve this issue up to Rajin in North Korea."

Although he did not specify an exact date, he added, "It would be good if this issue is resolved within this year."

Kim Jong-un inspects solid-fuel ICBM launch pad production factory with daughter Ju-ae
Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, North Korea and Russia have been strengthening sectoral cooperation since the summit between Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, and Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, in September last year.

In particular, as the war in Ukraine prolongs and Russia faces shortages of war materials such as ammunition and shells, it is believed that Russia may have received North Korean weapons in exchange for transferring some advanced technology related to space and missile systems. Last month, a separate meeting was held between authorities from Primorsky Krai and North Korea. During this meeting, Russia promised full cooperation in tourism and other areas, and it appears that the current group tourist visit was arranged as a result.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.