- Chinese media highlights renewed rail link as sign of economic revival, while North Korean press remains silent amid shifting regional dynamics.
DANDONG, China: Passenger train services between the capitals of China and North Korea have resumed after a six-year suspension, though the development has received limited attention in North Korean state media.
According to reports, North Korea’s official newspaper Rodong Sinmun did not cover the resumption of the rail service between Pyongyang and Beijing, which restarted operations on Thursday following a hiatus imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, a local newspaper in Dandong, a border city in northeastern China’s Liaoning Province, carried a front-page report highlighting the restored connection.
Observers suggest Pyongyang may be cautious about publicizing the development, amid concerns about China’s expanding economic influence in the country after it closed its borders in early 2020 to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
The article published in Dandong reflected local optimism that the restored rail service will stimulate tourism and contribute to economic recovery in the border region.
Under the resumed schedule, trains connecting Beijing and Pyongyang will operate four times a week. Additionally, the daily passenger train service between Dandong and Pyongyang also resumed on Thursday.
Wang Yajun, China’s ambassador to North Korea, welcomed passengers arriving at a Pyongyang station, describing the restoration of the rail link as “a development long anticipated by the peoples of both countries and a significant milestone in bilateral relations,” according to the Chinese Embassy.
Currently, cross-border train travel remains restricted to diplomats and businesspeople, as North Korea has not yet resumed issuing tourist visas.
Passengers departing from Dandong on Friday were seen photographing the Yalu River, which forms part of the border between the two countries. A member of the North Korean train crew reportedly told passengers before departure that the journey to Pyongyang could be completed within the same day, noting the close proximity of the two cities.
First launched in 1954, the passenger rail service has long symbolized the enduring relationship between China and North Korea. China remains North Korea’s largest trading partner and a key economic supporter.
In a related development, Air China is expected to resume direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang on March 30 after more than six years of suspension due to the pandemic. The airline plans to operate weekly flights between the two capitals every Monday. Meanwhile, North Korea’s state carrier Air Koryo had already resumed services on the same route in 2023.
Separately, KBS, South Korea’s public broadcaster, reported that a new bridge for vehicle traffic across the Tumen River near the North Korea–Russia border has recently been connected, citing high-resolution satellite imagery. Previously, only a railway bridge existed at the site.
The development comes as Russia and North Korea continue to deepen their ties, with Pyongyang reportedly deploying thousands of troops to support Moscow in its war against Ukraine.
BY: The Times Union
