Preparatory Work on Road to New Russia-North Korea Bridge Underway

Commercial satellite imagery indicates work on the first road bridge between North Korea and Russia is rapidly progressing.

On the North Korean side of the crossing, preparations for the abutments, the road sections immediately on either side of a bridge, are underway. So far, seven footings for the west-side abutment have been installed.

Similar work has not yet started on the Russian side abutments, but work to grade the road leading to the bridge crossing point has started. Conversely, road grading at the same scale has not yet begunon the North Korean side.

On both sides, ground clearing and scraping are underway, likely in preparation for building customs facilities. On the Russia side, a helipad has also been installed around the probable customs site, a feature not yet mirrored across the river.

The fast pace of work seems in line with a recent report that the bridge’s construction deadline has been moved up to the middle of 2026 from its initial end of 2026 timeline.

https://www.38north.org/2025/06/preparatory-work-on-road-to-new-russia-north-korea-bridge-underway/

North Korea Revised its Space Law to Permit Military Use

June 2, 2025

Domestic Affairs

North Korea revised its Space Development Law (우주개발법) in 2022 to allow for use of space for national defense purposes. Specifically, it removed sentences that previously committed to only peaceful uses of space and opposed the militarization of space and now threatens countermeasures on countries that attempt “unfriendly acts” on its space program. It expands the scope of international cooperation and codifies that space scientists receive preferential treatment for housing.

The revisions came shortly before it attempted to launch its first military reconnaissance satellite in 2022. The length of the law has nearly doubled, from 23 articles in the original 2013 version to 48 articles in the most recent law. A copy of the revised law was obtained by 38 North earlier this year as part of the new NK TechLab project.

The revised law points to a maturing space sector and strategy in North Korea, the expansion of which has been reported in North Korean media and corroborated through satellite imagery over the past few years. But it also demonstrates an attempt to adopt some level of international norms and standards, with new stipulations that reflect its national obligations under various United Nations (UN) space-related conventions. How these are carried out in practice is yet to be seen, but the revisions suggest a desire to increase the overall credibility of North Korea’s space program.

National Defense

When the country’s Space Development Law was first passed on April 1, 2013, its stated mission was to accelerate economic construction and improve people’s lives.

The revised law, passed on August 7, 2022, expands and reframes its mission as “the development of the country’s science, technology and economy, improvement of the people’s living standards and strengthening of the country’s defense capabilities.”

https://www.38north.org/2025/06/north-korea-revised-its-space-law-to-permit-military-use/