North Korean Delegation Returns from Russia’s Far East Amid Talks to Resume Train Service

RASON, NORTH KOREA — A delegation from North Korea's border city of Rason has returned after a weeklong visit to Russia's Far East, state media reported on Sunday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the group led by the chief of the Rason Municipal People's Committee arrived back on Saturday, having departed for Russia on May 12. While details were sparse, it is believed the delegation discussed resuming passenger train services between the two regions. Last week, Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of Russia's Primorsky Krai, indicated that passenger trains connecting Vladivostok with North Korea are expected to restart after a suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rason, a key logistical hub that borders both Russia and China, has a railway connection to the Russian town of Khasan, which links further to Vladivostok. Both freight and passenger rail services were halted due to the pandemic, though cargo trains resumed in November 2022. The potential resumption of passenger rail has raised concerns among experts that North Korea may begin sending workers to Russia's Far East, an action prohibited under U.N. Security Council sanctions. This concern comes as Moscow faces labor shortages attributed to its ongoing conflict with Ukraine.