North Korea has long held the reputation as the world's most closed-off and secretive nation.
asserted
Korea → hold → nation
Now, the "Hermit Kingdom" is set to have two bridges linking it to its closest allies.
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Kingdom → set → allies
North Korea and Russia opened their first road bridge on September 7.
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Korea → open → September
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin called it a "powerful impetus for the further development of trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation".
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Mishustin → call → cooperation
Another bridge between North Korea and China is also nearing completion, according to South Korean satellite tracking.
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bridge → near → tracking
North Korea reaps both goodwill and tech from Russia
North Korea's bridge to Russia crosses the Tumen River and is only 1 kilometre long.
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bridge → reap → River
Mr Mishustin has hailed the modest bridge as a sign of "unprecedented" friendship between the two nations.
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Mishustin → hail → nations
It is even named after Red Army soldier Yakov Novichenko, who North Korea credits with thwarting an 1946 assassination attempt on Kim Il Sung, who would go on to serve as North Korea's communist leader from 1948 until his death in 1994.
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who → name → 1994
The construction is symbolic as much as it is logistical, Nick Bisley, professor of international relations at La Trobe University, said.
"North Korea is a famously isolated country.
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Korea → say → University
It seeks to isolate itself from the outside world and the outside world tries to keep it at arm's length," he said.
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he → seek → length
"So building a new bridge is symbolically important in that context.
"
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building → build → context
The symbolism reflects growing ties between the two countries and the growing confidence that they have."
Moscow and Pyongyang previously placed planks on a nearby rail bridge to access each other's territory via road.
Now, up to 300 vehicles a day could travel from North Korea to as far as St Petersburg, a city and port in north-western Russia.
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vehicles → reflect → Russia
It has left some concerned about the repercussions for the war in Ukraine.
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It → leave → Ukraine
Ukrainian investigative organisation Truth Hounds said the bridge would be a "direct artery" for moving troops and military officials into Russia.
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bridge → say → Russia
Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in its fifth year, has dried up the number of Russian soldiers yet Mr Putin is expected to launch a second forced mobilisation of more than 500,000 civilians into the military to continue fighting.
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Putin → dry → military
South Korea's Institute for National Security Strategy estimated North Korea had earnt up to $US14.4 billion ($20.53 billion) through supplying arms to Russia's war efforts.
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Korea → estimate → efforts
Meanwhile, South Korea's spy agency said last year North Korea had sent 10,000–12,000 troops to fight on Russia's front lines.
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Korea → say → lines
Before, most weapons North Korea sent to Russia were shipped via sea, Justin Hastings, a professor of international relations at the University of Sydney, said.
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Hastings → send → Sydney
"If it makes sense to ship certain weapons by truck, they will now be able to do that," he says.
"
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he → make → that
In theory, the road bridge also enables more efficient commercial trade, although what Russia — which is also sanctioned—has to offer in that space is limited compared to China.
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has → enable → China
"
While Professor Bisley saw the potential for increased threats to Ukraine, he said the infrastructure would bolster both nations' security objectives.
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infrastructure → see → objectives
And in the case of North Korea, that could mean access to Russia's more sophisticated technology, including tech that could improve Pyongyang's missile arsenal.
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that → mean → arsenal
"I actually think it's a bigger concern for Asia than it is for Ukraine,"Professor Bisley said.
"
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Bisley → think → Asia
Not to downplay that Ukrainians are in a proper fight, whereas what we're talking about in East Asia is hypothetical.
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talking → downplay → Asia
"But the difference that Russian support to North Korean military ambitions could make to strategic competition in Asia is very significant.
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support → make → Asia
Professor Bisley pointed to the US as a complicating factor.
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Bisley → point → factor
US President Donald Trump said he would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year.
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he → say → Un
Late last month, Mr Trump announced he would scale back military exercises with South Korea as he found them "totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea.
"You don't need to be especially paranoid if you were sitting in Seoul — looking at Russia sidling up to North Korea developing capabilities whilst your ally America is sort of wandering off — and feeling somewhat more exposed than you were 18 months ago," Professor Bisley said.
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Bisley → announce → capabilities
"You've got an ambitious Russia, China, North Korea grouping, and you have an America that is at best distracted — at worst disinterested — in deterring and responding to the rising challenge of those three countries.
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that → get → countries
"
North Korea is seeking a dual benefit from the bridge, Professor Bisley says: racking up goodwill while scoring tech developments.
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Bisley → seek → developments
Chinese bridge marks new era in 'complicated' alliance
China's bridge is less about war and all about alliances, according to Professor Bisley.
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bridge → mark → Bisley
The New Yalu River Bridge follows Beijing's efforts to draw Pyongyang back into its fold after the COVID-19 pandemic, and re-establish certainty in a notoriously "complicated" friendship.
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Bridge → follow → friendship
"The Chinese see North Korea as much of a burden as it is an advantage," he said.
"
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he → see → burden
The North Koreans are difficult to manage.
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Koreans → manage → ?
And they do things that Beijing doesn't like pretty regularly.
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Beijing → do → that
"So a second bridge indicates that there's potentially some improvement in the relationship, and that there's some positive ways in which the PRC [People's Republic of China] may be looking at North Korea.
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PRC → indicate → Korea
China does share one bridge already, the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge.
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China → share → bridge
But this photo best captures the world of differences between the bridge's two sides.
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photo → capture → sides
Construction on the New Yalu River Bridge began in 2011 but stalled on North Korea's side until recently.
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Construction → begin → side
Now structural work on a customs and immigration facility on the North Korean side of the 3km-long bridge will be finished by September, according to SI Analytics, a South Korean company that processes satellite images.
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that → finish → images
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia