Russia Strengthens Border With North

Russia has reportedly built a wall on the bank of the Duman River, the border between Russia and North Korea, in order to reinforce its defenses there.

According to papers filed by the Russian Maritime Province which Dong-A Ilbo obtained, Russia started a project to “stabilize the river bed of the Duman River and to reinforce defenses on the border between Russia and North Korea” in November 2004. It completed a bank revetment 12.995 km-long along the riverbank in July last year. Now it has strengthened it along a 9.45 km stretch where the bank had been eroded by water.

The whole area of the project extends from “the bridge of friendship” (a railway from Najin to Hasan) to the river mouth, which comes to the length of 17.58 km. It has been confirmed that this area also includes Nokdun Island, which was recognized as Russian territory when North Korea signed a border treaty in 1990.

The first reason why Russia started the project was stated to be because of erosion on Russia’s riverbank. North Korea then built an embankment on its side of the border after 1990. Erosion destroyed a Russian border guard post in the early 2000s.

Sergey Darkin, governor of Primorsky Krai, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2003 and asked for federal money for a bank revetment. The federal government approved a project in 2004 and allocated budget of 20 million dollars.

Meanwhile, some say that the return of Nokdun Island, which belonged to Joseon until the 19th Century would become more difficult due to the bank revetment. International law experts explained that if Russia builds a dike around Nokdun Island, it would provide more evidence of practical possession, and their claim to the island would be stronger.

Nokdun Island is four times bigger than Yeouido and is located in the river mouth of Duman. Nokdun Island was claimed by Russia when North Korea signed its border treaty. However, it had been Joseon territory from King Sejong’s reign through 1860 when a Beijing treaty was made. Many records support this fact, including some documents proving that General Yi Sun-shin stayed on the island for three years and that Joseon farmers cultivated this island into farmland and set up a palisade.

When Imperial Russia obtained the Maritime Province from China according to a Beijing treaty, it claimed Nokdun Island as its territory over the transom. Nokdun Island has been connected with the Russian side after sand in the upper stream of the Duman River came down and accumulated after the 1800s. Russia’s military units are located on this island at present.