„Until now, exchanges across the Yalu River bridges in Dandong have been relatively limited in scale, but once the new bridge opens, hundreds of vehicles could cross it every day,“ Ahn Chan-il, a researcher originally from North Korea, told AFP.
„The bridge could become a conduit for China’s abundant goods and resources to flow into North Korea and give its economy a significant boost,“ he added.
South Korea’s unification ministry told AFP that Seoul is „closely monitoring“ the situation regarding the bridge’s opening.
North Korea has not yet resumed issuing tourism visas to Chinese citizens, who once made up the bulk of its overseas visitors.
China is North Korea’s largest trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic and political support for the reclusive nuclear state.
Its exports to North Korea rose to a six-year high of US$2.3 billion last year, a 25 per cent increase over the previous year. That was still well short of levels from before the UN sanctions were imposed in 2017.
