Travelers outside Seoul gain direct access to more overseas routes

Travelers living in Korea’s southern provinces have long endured a frustrating routine before most of their trips abroad: boarding a high-speed train or driving hours north just to catch a flight at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. That geographic imbalance is now shifting. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Wednesday announced the allocation of traffic rights for 25 international routes across 10 domestic carriers. The policy shift breaks up long-held megacarrier dominance and injects fresh competition into regional hubs across the peninsula. Under the new distribution, low-cost carriers and emerging airlines will spearhead an expansion into China and Central Europe. Regional airports in cities like Busan, Cheongju and Daegu will gain direct flights to major Chinese metropolitan areas including Chengdu, Harbin, Dalian and Xiamen. Yangyang International Airport, situated along the eastern coast, is set to revive its international operations after a four-year hiatus, securing direct links to Shanghai and Hangzhou. The move marks a strategic effort to dism