25 Oct 2022 15:30

Train services between N. Korea and Russia's Far East may resume in late October or in November - customs

VLADIVOSTOK. Oct 25 (Interfax) - Train services via the border crossing between Khasan in the Primorye Territory in Russia's Far East and Tumangang in North Korea, which were earlier suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, may resume in November, chief of Russia's Far Eastern customs directorate Yury Ladygin said.

"We expect to launch the Nizhneleninskoye railroad border crossing [in the Jewish Autonomous Region] and to resume traffic through the Khasan railroad border crossing in the near future. It may even happen as early as this month. However, the Khasan crossing will possibly start operating next month. We are ready for the railroad via Khasan to start operating," Ladygin said at a press conference in Vladivostok on Tuesday.

The border crossing's opening date depends on North Korea's activities, he said.

"As regards the [North] Korean side, they are shifting these dates somehow. The deadline was after October 15. But we do not see for now that there will be some movement, possibly until the end of the month," he said.

The border crossing will be reopened, Ladygin said, without specifying whether cargo or pedestrian traffic will resume through this crossing.

"Generally, we are speaking about the opening of the crossing point. We will see what happens next. It will depend on them," he said.

The authorities of the Primorye Territory said earlier that North Korea was ready to resume cargo traffic with Russia in September.

The Primorye Territory is Russia's only region that borders North Korea. Train services via the Khasan-Tumangang border crossing were earlier halted because of the Covid-19 pandemic.