Korea adds more winter flights to Japan, China

International passenger flights to and from Korea will increase for the winter season, with more services to Japan and China amid strong travel demand, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Sunday.

Up to 5,353 international passenger flights per week are scheduled on 264 routes connecting Korea to 44 countries from Sunday through March 27, 2027, the ministry said.

The flights will be operated by 84 airlines, including 11 Korean carriers and 73 foreign airlines.

The weekly total marks a 7.6 percent increase from 4,973 flights during last year's winter season, surpassing the prepandemic level of 4,980 in the winter of 2019.

The expansion will be driven mainly by additional services to Japan and China, with weekly flights increasing by 314 and 232, respectively, from last winter amid robust inbound and outbound travel demand.

Yonhap