Charter Flight Operations Between Korea and China to Expand Starting September

Ambassador Jang Ha-sung: "Charter Flights Expanded for Students and Korean Residents Returning to China in September"
4,500 Visa Issued by Chinese Embassy in Korea in August

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Charter flights between Korea and China are expected to increase significantly starting in September.

Jang Ha-sung, the Ambassador to China, said at a meeting with Beijing correspondents on the 31st that the Chinese government has been steadily issuing visas to Koreans since the 5th, and that discussions are underway with Chinese authorities to expand charter flights between Korea and China.

Jang Ha-sung, Ambassador of Korea to China

Ambassador Jang explained, "We are making efforts to allow international students and Korean residents to enter China using charter flights," adding, "It is expected that charter flights will be available before mid-September."

Since the 5th, about 4,500 people have received visas at the Korea China Visa Center. To bring these people back to China, 20 to 30 charter flights are needed.

Ambassador Jang also forecasted that not only charter flights but also regular scheduled flights will increase. After the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), scheduled flights had decreased to 10 per week, but now they have increased to 24 flights, and one more flight will be added soon, he added.

He further explained that with the increase in flights between the U.S. and China, the number of Chinese passengers transferring through Incheon is expected to decrease somewhat. This means that the use of scheduled flights by Korean nationals may increase.

Regarding Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China in charge of foreign affairs, visiting Korea, Ambassador Jang said, "The biggest achievement is that Korea and China have agreed to normalize people-to-people exchanges," and added, "Since Yang Jiechi's visit, the Chinese side has been actively engaging in discussions on charter flight operations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.