Bridge between North Korea, China opens over 10 years after construction was completed

North Korea and China officially opened a cross-border bridge on Thursday, more than a decade after construction was completed, China's news report showed Thursday.

An opening ceremony was held for the bridge across the Amnok River, also known as the Yalu River, according to China's Xinhua News Agency. It connects the North Korean city of Sinuiju and Dandong in China.

Construction began in October 2011 and ended in October 2014, but the four-lane bridge sat unused because North Korea did not finish the buildings and infrastructure on its side.

The bridge is expected to boost trade and the movement of people and ease congestion on the Friendship Bridge, which has served as the main crossing since its 1943 opening.

The opening follows pledges by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping at their June summit in Pyongyang to elevate ties to a strategic level and enhance exchanges.

An official at South Korea's Ministry of Unification on Thursday called it "the first tangible implementation of the agreements reached during the June summit."

"We will monitor any further development as this could be a concrete step toward deepening strategic ties," the official said.

Yonhap