Washed-out bridge remains unrepaired as North Korean officials profit from detours

A bridge in the Chongchon River basin that was washed out during torrential rains in August remains unrepaired two months later. This has disrupted a vital transportation route and significantly increased costs for travelers and businesses, while the authorities have yet to take action on repairs.

According to a Daily NK source in South Pyongan province, the bridge was a major link connecting the interior of South Pyongan province with North Pyongan province and Jagang province via Anju. With the bridge out of service, people traveling to the Yellow Sea coastal regions of North Pyongan province must make a detour of approximately 140 kilometers toward Yongbyon county.

The disruption extends beyond inconvenience to economic impact. “With gasoline costs and travel time increasing, burdens have grown,” the source said. “Distributors and market merchants in particular are facing difficulties.”

Locals have suggested that temporary use of a nearby “special road” could alleviate the problem.

A “special road” refers to military roads or highways, including so-called No. 1 roads reserved for use by the country’s supreme leader. However, because police, state security agencies and military personnel strictly control access to such roads, travelers must make the 100-kilometer-plus detour even when these roads are unoccupied, the source said.

Under these circumstances, some enforcement personnel have been accepting unofficial payments. “They take money to allow use of the special road at night, when oversight is minimal,” the source said. “Paying the personnel at checkpoints at the start and end of the road, plus those stationed along the route, is cumbersome, but some travelers consider it preferable to the longer alternative route.”

However, the source noted that the cumulative cost of these payments can be substantial. “In some cases, travelers end up spending more on these payments than they save in fuel costs by using the shorter route,” he said. “As a result, those who find this arrangement unfavorable continue to take the 140-kilometer detour.”

The situation has generated widespread frustration among residents. People have reportedly remarked that “the only people benefiting from the bridge outage are the enforcement personnel,” reflecting a perception that those without financial resources or connections bear the brunt of infrastructure failures while some officials profit from the circumstances.

Locals have expressed frustration with what they perceive as inconsistent government priorities. “When a political or ideological matter arises, the authorities respond quickly and publicize their actions, but infrastructure issues that directly affect daily life tend to receive delayed attention,” the source said. “Situations like this highlight a gap between stated priorities and resource allocation.”

The unrepaired bridge illustrates a pattern observers have noted in North Korean governance—infrastructure needs that affect economic activity and daily life often receive less immediate attention than projects linked to political objectives or demonstrations of loyalty to the leadership.