China and South Korea agreed to expand the weekly flight rights between the two countries for the first time in seven years, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on Thursday, June 4.
The expansion was agreed upon during the bilateral aviation talks held in Seoul on May 27 and 28, amid closer ties between the two nations.
More passenger and cargo flights
According to the Seoul officials, the deal will increase weekly passenger flight rights by 56, from 608 to 664 flights, and weekly cargo rights by 14, from 54 to 68 flights.
The existing flight rights on certain popular routes, such as Incheon (ICN) to Shanghai (PVG and SHA) and Incheon (ICN) to Guangzhou (CAN), had already been fully utilised by both countries.
In addition to those, the expansion will encompass routes connecting South Korean regional airports, namely Busan (PUS) and Cheongju (CJJ), to 10 Chinese cities, including Guangzhou (CAN), Chengdu (CTU and TFU), Shenzhen (SZX), Chongqing (CKG) and Xian (XIY).
Lee So-young, South Korea’s aviation policy chief, stated:
“We expect this agreement to help promote visits to South Korea by Chinese tourists, improve convenience for our citizens travelling to China and for import-export companies, and contribute to revitalising the economy by further boosting Korean airlines’ entry into the Chinese market.”
Diplomatic rapprochement
Lee also expressed appreciation for the timeliness of the agreement, due to the increasing exchanges between the two countries.
The statement issued by Seoul cited passenger data indicating that the air travel demand between China and South Korea has exceeded pre-pandemic levels. In the first quarter of 2026, passenger traffic reportedly reached 4.29 million, compared with 4.14 million recorded before COVID-19.
In January 2026, South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung visited China’s Xi Jinping in Beijing, with the expressed goal of improving regional security and lifting Beijing’s unofficial ban on Korean pop culture. It was the first time a South Korean leader visited China since 2019 and marked a moment of rapprochement after bilateral relations had worsened under Lee’s impeached predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol.
What do you think of this flight rights expansion agreement? What impact will it have on regional aviation? Share your opinion in the comments.
