[Report] New Yalu River Bridge with about 20 cars on it... Even after the 77th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the opening has not yet been completed (comprehensive)

(Dandong = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Hyun-jeong = New Yalu River Bridge connecting Dandong, Liaoning Province, China, and Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, North Korea, on the morning of the 6th.

It looked busy with about 20 cars running on the bridge for about two hours starting at 9 a.m.

Black and white sedans and vans lined up to enter and exit the bridge a few minutes apart, and two vans stopped in the center of the bridge and stayed for about 15 minutes.

Workers were also seen unloading items from car trunks and looking down at the bridge or inspecting the bridge equipment.

Some cars turned around on the bridge and returned to the Chinese side. During the time the reporter watched, it was not confirmed that the car completely crossed over from the Chinese side to the North Korean side.

No large trucks were observed passing around customs and quarantine stations on either side of North Korea or China, or large wreaths commonly seen at national events were observed moving.

At the northern gateway, a large light green crane was deployed and installed on the other side of the Yalu River, but it soon folded flat and stopped operating.

As the calm atmosphere continued, the official opening ceremony of the New Yalu River Bridge, which was discussed to be held on this day, the 77th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between North Korea and China, was not held until 7 p.m. (local time), and no circumstances that could be assumed to be an event were observed by either North Korea or China.

Cars that were seen in both directions between North Korea and China in the morning rarely ran and then disappeared in the afternoon, and the North Korean crane completely withdrew and there was no trace of it.

Although there were occasional sounds of fireworks exploding, it was presumed that they were set off by residents during the National Day holiday.

A diplomatic source said, “There is talk that the opening of the New Yalu River Bridge has been postponed to the middle of this month.”

A black sedan with a five-star red flag was seen driving down the road next to the bridge, but according to an explanation from a nearby hotel, the cars were reportedly mobilized for a large-scale wedding held at the hotel that day.

Above the Yalu River, ships with North Korea flags moved along the northern riverside for about two hours before disappearing. On board, people could be seen standing on the bow or rowing oars.

In relation to the opening ceremony, some are talking about the 9th after China's National Day holiday (1st to 7th), the 10th of this month, or the 16th of this month, the founding date of the North Korean Workers' Party.

Sources commonly say that the opening ceremony is not far away, as the number of vehicles crossing the bridge has increased noticeably since last month, and on the 20th of the same month, a large truck was seen crossing from Dandong to Sinuiju.

Local merchants are still expressing anticipation for the official opening.

A local who runs a flower shop in the Dandong New Area said, "Every time the North Korean consulate holds an event or anniversary, they order a lot of flowers (from Dandong), but there hasn't been much news recently."

However, he explained, “Many trading companies are being established in this area, and we (the flower shop) also have a separate trading corporation,” adding, “There are high expectations for economic development following the opening of the bridge.”

Some experts say that although the opening ceremony is being held later than originally observed, this does not mean that the two sides are experiencing any problems or conflicts.

Moon Il-hyun, a professor at the Chinese University of Political Science and Law, told Yonhap News, "It is highly likely that the event was postponed because the details were not fully agreed upon," and added, "It is an extended interpretation to say that there is a big problem or that there is a setback."