Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and North Korean Cabinet Premier Pak Thae Song on Monday, September 7, inaugurated the first-ever road bridge across the Tumen River on the border between the two countries via video link.

Axar.az informs, citing Russian media, the bridge is named after Yakov Novichenko, a Red Army officer and Hero of Labor of the DPRK. In 1946, he shielded Kim Il Sung, the future leader of North Korea, with his body after a grenade was thrown at him.

The total length of the bridge crossing, including access roads, is 4.7 kilometers, while the bridge itself is one kilometer long. The Russian section is 424 meters long, while the North Korean section is 581 meters. The bridge has two lanes with a total width of seven meters.

Previously, the only way to travel between Russia and North Korea was by air or rail, via the countries’ only existing bridge.