The end of April 2026 was marked by several important events aimed at the long-term strengthening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the DPRK and the Russian Federation.
When Western or South Korean “analysts” describe relations between Moscow and Pyongyang, they focus on military or military-technical cooperation, as well as ideological statements interpreted as the existence of a military bloc threatening their neighbors. In reality, cooperation between the two countries is progressing in a wide variety of areas, with important delegation visits taking place almost every month. However, in the author’s view, the end of April 2026 was marked by three truly significant events.
Road bridge
On April 21, 2026, Russia and the DPRK connected the spans of a road bridge across the Tumangang River, which will, for the first time, allow direct road communication between the two countries. The agreement to implement this project was signed in 2024, alongside the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the DPRK.
Russian Minister of Transport Andrey Nikitin, Co-Chairman of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation between Russia and the DPRK; Minister of Natural Resources and Economy Alexander Kozlov; and Director of the First Asia Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ivan Zhelokhovtsev participated in the event via video.
Andrey Nikitin expressed gratitude to all of the project’s participants, adding that the bridge’s opening will be of strategic importance for the economies and social spheres of both states. Alexander Kozlov noted that logistics is a critically important sphere for both countries, and that much has already been done. Last year, passenger rail service was resumed, and the first Moscow-Pyongyang flight was launched. Strengthening bilateral ties is the strategic task, and the Russian-Korean Intergovernmental Commission will continue to work across all areas of cooperation.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on April 30, 2025; one year of construction work for such a task is a good indicator. The total length of the bridge crossing will be nearly five kilometers, with the two-lane bridge itself spanning approximately one kilometer. After the bridge opens, the distance from Vladivostok to the border city of Rason will be 320 kilometers, which will significantly simplify regional logistics, increase mutual trade volumes, and expand cultural and tourism ties.
Traffic is scheduled to open on June 19, 2026. In addition, work is underway to create the Khasan road border checkpoint with ten traffic lanes, the capacity of which will be 300 vehicles and 2,850 individuals per day.
As Russian Foreign Ministry official spokesperson Maria Zakharova noted in this regard, the construction of the bridge goes far beyond a mere engineering task. The new bridge symbolizes the shared desire of the two countries to strengthen friendly, good-neighborly relations and expand interregional cooperation.
KCNA also noted that the construction of the bridge is important for creating a real guarantee for establishing and strengthening crucial infrastructure for economic cooperation and the multifaceted development of bilateral assistance, including the movement of people, tourism, and trade turnover.
Interior Ministry cooperation
On April 22, talks were held in Pyongyang between Colonel General Pang Tu-sop, Minister of Public Security of the DPRK, and Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Police General and Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia.
The delegation headed by the Russian minister arrived in Pyongyang on April 20 for a working visit in response to General Pang’s September 2025 visit to Russia, during which an agreement was signed between the two countries to strengthen cooperation in the field of public security and law enforcement. During the visit, the Russian delegation laid a wreath at the Liberation Monument, visited the Pyongyang Metro, and the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum.
The talks, which took place in a comradely and friendly atmosphere, were attended by Kim Song-nam, Vice-Minister of Public Security of the DPRK, and Vladimir Topekha, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of Russia in the DPRK.
According to a KCNA report, each side briefed the other on their countries’ work in law enforcement. During discussions on the upcoming reform of the DPRK’s law enforcement system, Vladimir Kolokoltsev expressed the readiness of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs to share its accumulated experience in creating a functioning police force. The minister stated that cooperation is developing in various areas of law enforcement activity, including logistical support, public order maintenance, migration, personnel training, and contacts between the internal affairs bodies of the capitals. Dialogue has been established at the level of deputy ministers and department heads. Channels for the rapid exchange of information have been established.
The expansion of exchanges and cooperation between the two ministries was also discussed. After the talks, a plan for delegation exchanges between the DPRK Ministry of Public Security and the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for 2026-2027 was signed, clearly indicating an intention to deepen interaction.
In a separate Telegram message, Russian ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk quoted Kolokoltsev as noting the seriousness of the problem of illicit drug trafficking. The head of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs proposed that relevant DPRK agencies exchange proactive information on possible instances of drug smuggling and the persons involved, as well as other information of mutual interest.
In addition to General Pang, on April 22 the Russian delegation was received at the Pyongyang Assembly Hall by Jo Yong-won, member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the WPK Central Committee, First Vice-President of the State Affairs Commission, and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK — the second-highest official in the North Korean hierarchy.
On the topic of cooperation via the interior ministries, the author finds several points interesting. First, it may be linked to the statement made by Kim Jong Un at a new session of the Supreme People’s Assembly regarding a change in the law enforcement system. His statement can be interpreted in different ways, but it concerns the reorganization of law enforcement agencies and the creation of a police equivalent in the DPRK. In this context, Pyongyang is possibly interested in the Russian experience.
A second interesting point is the discussion on combating drug smuggling. This does not confirm anti-Pyongyang propaganda about North Korean heroin or methamphetamine, which is supposedly produced in astronomical quantities with state permission and smuggled abroad. However, if Moscow eventually decides to set aside UN Security Council sanctions and begin importing North Korean labor, it would be better to foresee all possible consequences in advance.
Russian-Korean Friendship Hospital
On April 22, at the invitation of the DPRK government to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Korean-Russian Friendship Hospital, a delegation of the Russian government arrived in the coastal city of Wonsan. The delegation was headed by the Russian co-chairman of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation between the DPRK and the Russian Federation, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov, and Minister of Healthcare Mikhail Murashko.
On April 22, the Russian delegation visited the Cemetery of Soviet Servicemen in Wonsan. The delegation was accompanied by Ju Mun Jin, Chairman of the Kangwon Provincial People’s Committee of the DPRK, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jong-gyu, and Russian Consul General in Chongjin Oleg Koshcheev.
Later, at the Myongsasimni Hotel within the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, sectoral business negotiations were held between representatives of Moscow and Pyongyang. From the DPRK side, the participants included Vice Minister of Foreign Economic Affairs Yun Jong-ho and Minister of Health Kim Du-won.
The main event was the opening ceremony for the multidisciplinary Friendship Hospital of Russia and North Korea, which will be built in Wonsan. The project is one of the key elements of the agreements between the leaders of the two states, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un.
As Alexander Kozlov noted, “we are not simply starting to build a hospital; today we have made a contribution to people’s health, to helping and saving patients who will receive qualified treatment here. Wonsan is a tourist center of Korea, visited by both domestic citizens and foreign guests. Of course, quality hospitality services should also include professional medical support. The multidisciplinary hospital will meet all modern requirements. The design, medical-technical specifications, and equipment of the hospital have been repeatedly discussed at the intergovernmental commission. Russian specialists have assisted our Korean comrades with their knowledge and expert opinions, which is why we have truly achieved a joint project – a Russian-Korean friendship clinic”.
Kim Tu Won also noted that the opening of the hospital “will give life, beauty, and energy not only to local residents but also to visitors of this world-class global tourist attraction”.
The thing is that a significant portion of medical equipment remains under sanctions. Anything that any potentially dual-purpose products cannot be supplied to the DPRK. The joint status of the hospital solves this problem because, formally speaking, the medical equipment remains Russian and is not transferred to the North Korean side. However, studying it and working with it opens up opportunities both for localization, to which Moscow would no longer have any connection, and for creating a center at the hospital to train North Korean doctors in new medical technologies, eliminating the need for them to go abroad.
And that is not all! On April 25, Vyacheslav Volodin arrived in the DPRK – the author is preparing a separate piece on this high-level visit and the anniversary of the liberation of Russian territories.
Konstantin Asmolov, PhD in History, Leading Research Fellow at the Centre for Korean Studies, Institute of China and Contemporary Asia, Russian Academy of Sciences
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