Pyongyang- Beijing border looks set to reopen

Amid reports that North Korea and China will resume trade at the end of April, evidence of opening the border between the two countries, including the removal of a train shield is emerging.

According to Voice of America on Saturday, satellite imagery showed that the tunnel-shaped shield installed in October 2020 near the Sinuiju station in North Korea was removed on March 31, 15 days after the 400-meter cover was captured in satellite imagery released by Maxar Technologies. It is presumed that the facility was built to protect trains from natural elements such as snow and rain while they were not in use.

It is also said that large volumes of goods are waiting in Liaoning and Dandong, which are Chinese trade hubs across Sinuiju, along with other border cities. Freight trains marked with “Sopo,” a city on the outskirts of Pyongyang, were seen at a train station in Dandong.

Trade by ship between North Korea and China were resumed last month. Pyongyang imported 12.97 million dollars’ worth goods including fertilizer in March, according to the Chinese General Administration of Customs.“ Most imports from China were shipped to North Korea last month,” said a source familiar with the relations between the two countries. It is said that trains carrying fertilizer will head for the North starting Tuesday at the earliest.


Oh-Hyuk Kwon hyuk@donga.com