[앵커]
North Korea is expected to open the border with Russia, which has been closed for more than two and a half years, and resume train service from this month.
Russia is known to have recently requested ammunition from North Korea, raising suspicions that it is a preparation for the delivery of weapons.
Reporter Kang Seong-woong reports.
[기자]
It is the only iron bridge connecting North Korea and Russia across the Tuman River.
North Korea’s ambassador to Russia, Shin Hong-chol, said the North-Russia border railway will resume operation this month.
It has been two and a half years since North Korea closed its borders in early 2020, at the early stage of the outbreak of COVID-19, and stopped operating.
The announcement comes following Russia is known to have requested millions of rounds of ammunition from North Korea.
The U.S. government has stated that North Korea is buying rockets and shells for use in the Ukraine war.
[패트릭 라이더 / 미국 국방부 대변인 (지난 5일) : 우리가 가진 정보는 러시아가 탄약을 구체적으로 요청했다는 것이다. 그러나 전력의 관점에서 러시아가 그 이상의 무엇을 필요로 하는지 또 (북한이) 무엇을 제공할 수 있을지 추측하고 싶지 않습니다.]
Therefore, the resumption of operation of the Tumen River railway bridge is likely to be a halting operation to transport ammunition to Russia.
This is because trains by land can be safer for carrying weapons than ships.
There are also speculations that Russia might give North Korea oil and wheat in return for arms aid.
Earlier, the US revealed that the purchase of North Korean weapons violated UN Security Council resolutions, and subsequent response is expected.
This is YTN Kang Sung-woong.
YTN Kang Sung-woong (swkang@ytn.co.kr)
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