North Korea and Russia are set to resume regular passenger train services three times a week starting December 15, marking the end of a four-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This move has raised speculation about a potential increase in North Korean workers being dispatched to Russia.
Sergei Pomichev, Far East Regional Development Director of Russian Railways, announced at the Russia Travel Forum in Khabarovsk on September 20 that regular train services between Primorsky Krai, China, and North Korea will resume on December 15, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency.
Pomichev revealed that he had meetings with North Korean and Chinese officials last week regarding the reopening of borders that had been closed due to COVID-19. As a result, passenger train services between Suifenhe, China, and Grodekovo, Russia, will restart on December 15.
In addition, regular train services between Khasan Station in Primorsky Krai and Tumangang Station in North Korea will operate three times a week, allowing more travelers to cross the border, Pomichev noted.
He also mentioned that a railway line connecting Vladivostok and Khasan in Russia with Rajin in North Korea is under development, with a test run scheduled for October, following an agreement with North Korean authorities.
In June, a test run was conducted on the passenger train route between Khasan and Tumangang stations. At the time, a delegation of 41 representatives from Primorsky Krai, including officials from the regional tourism department and tourism industry, visited North Korea at the official invitation of Pyongyang.
The delegation traveled by train from Khasan to Tumangang, marking the first passenger train service between the two countries in four years. Upon arrival at Tumangang, the group continued their journey by bus to Rason, North Korea.
The resumption of regular passenger train services between North Korea and Russia in December aligns with North Korea’s anticipated full reopening to foreign tourists later this year. In August, North Korean travel agencies specializing in tourism announced that foreign travel would resume in December.
Koryo Tours, based in Beijing, confirmed on August 14 through its website that its North Korean partner had notified them of the official reopening of tourism across North Korea, including Mount Paektu’s Samjiyon, in December 2024, welcoming tourists of all nationalities.
Andrei Lankov, a North Korea expert and professor at Kookmin University in South Korea, commented to Radio Free Asia (RFA) on September 20 that the resumption of regular train services between North Korea and Russia is further evidence of the two countries’ close relationship.
However, he also noted that restoring these train services is unlikely to significantly increase Russian tourism to North Korea, as it is not considered an attractive vacation destination for most Russians.
Professor Lankov explained that the regular train service between North Korea and Russia only holds significance when there is a large movement of North Korean workers to Russia, as it offers an affordable and convenient mode of transportation capable of carrying both passengers and cargo efficiently.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
