"Ghost bridge" to North Korea opens after more than a decade

 

TT

 

Published 09.54

 

Image from the inauguration, released by the state news agency Xinhua. Photo: Pan Yulong/Xinhua via AP/TT

A new bridge between China and North Korea has been complete since 2014. However, it is only now opening to traffic, according to Chinese state media.

The purpose of the three-kilometer-long bridge is to "revitalize business ties" between the two countries.

The inauguration of the bridge, originally scheduled for 2014, was postponed at the time. North Korea halted the construction of connecting roads; subsequently, the pandemic arrived, alongside a cooling of relations between Pyongyang and Beijing, the BBC reports.

Over the years, the project became known as the "ghost bridge." But with its long-awaited opening, "a new chapter begins," Chinese Premier Li Qiang stated on Thursday.

For the time being, however, the bridge is reportedly not open to passenger traffic—only freight.