VEHICLE SPOTTED AT AMNOK RIVER BRIDGE

[Anchor Lead]

It has been almost a year since North Korea closed its borders with China to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But a KBS reporter spotted a vehicle crossing the soon-to-be-opened New Amnok River Bridge.

[Pkg]

​The four-lane New Amnok River Bridge links the Chinese city of Dandong to Sinuiju in North Korea. A sedan is seen approaching the previously empty bridge from the North Korean side. A passenger gets out of the car and opens the border barricade set up in the middle of the bridge. The vehicle with a Chinese license plate speeds over the bridge after closing the barricade. This is the first time that a vehicle has been seen on the bridge, which was completed in 2014 but is yet to open. This observation has led some to believe that an official bridge opening may be imminent. Meanwhile, the North Korean-Chinese border was opened for a short time ahead of New Year’s Day. This is a 10-story Chinese hotel located near Amnok River Railway Bridge looking over the Amnok River and Sinuiju. The entire hotel was designated as a quarantine facility and currently access to unauthorized personnel is strictly limited.

[Soundbite] (HOTEL EMPLOYEE) : "The 14-day isolation will end around January 5th or 6th since they came here on December 22nd."

They are reportedly overseas Chinese people mainly trading or doing business with North Korea.

[Soundbite] (NORTH KOREAN SOURCE(VOICE ALTERED)) : "Goods could not enter the country after the borders were shut down. Prices soared, more than doubled in some places."

This is the second mass return of Chinese people since July. A prolonged border closure with its greatest trading partner, China, is likely to put a massive strain on the North Korean economy.