North Korea may open borders for first time since start of pandemic

A pair of buses were detected crossing from the North Korean border city of Sinuiju into China on August 16, in a rare move that was apparently made to transport its athletes to an upcoming taekwondo match.

The buses were spotted crossing a railway bridge over the Amnok River from the Chinese border city of Dandong into the North at around 10:15 (local time) and returning at around 11:20, Yonhap reports.

Sources said the North's rare border crossing into China could be related to the dispatch of its athletes to the ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships, slated for this week in Kazakhstan, though the identities of those on the buses remain unconfirmed.

On the morning of August 15, a bus and a van were also seen crossing the border and returning to Dandong later.

North Korea has imposed border lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic since early 2020. Railroad freight traffic between Pyongyang and Beijing resumed in January 2021 after being halted in August the previous year.