Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced plans to develop a “Transarctic Transport Corridor,” connecting logistics and trade routes across the Arctic, spanning Siberia, the Russian Far East, and North Korea.

Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Friday, he said the corridor will operate year-round and serve both domestic and international business interests.

Putin said the network would extend to North Korea, along with a bridge across the Tumen River and another linking Russia with the North scheduled to open next year. 

He also said plans are in works to build more bridges linking the North with Russia.

He also instructed his government to draft a rare earths development plan by November and pledged to expand exchanges with Asia-Pacific and Global South nations regardless of political conditions.

Putin further welcomed international participation in Far East and Arctic projects, promising business-friendly measures such as tax breaks starting in 2027.