Skyway to Iceland Opens

- Korea-Iceland Air Services Agreement Signed (Dec. 3) and New Traffic Rights Established (for 3 Fights per Week) -

Ambassador Seo Min-jung of the Republic of Korea to Norway and Iceland and Ambassador Högni Kristjánsson of Iceland to Norway formally signed the "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of Iceland for Air Services between and beyond their Respective Territories (hereinafter referred to as the "Agreement")" on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 10:00 (local time) in Oslo, Norway.

※ With the signing of this Agreement with Iceland, Korea has concluded such agreements with a total of 97 countries (94 in force as of December 2025).

Iceland, a European country located in the Arctic Circle, boasts famous tourist attractions such as the Aurora Borealis, glaciers and volcanoes. Korean tourists' travel to Iceland has been rapidly recovering since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the number of visitors from Korea to Iceland reached approximately 15,000*, marking an increase of about 25% compared to that of the previous year. The two countries held negotiations on the Agreement over a long period of time in order to enhance visitor convenience and establish a legal framework for stable air operations. Having reached an agreement on the text in October 2024, the two sides formally signed the Agreement after completing their respective, necessary domestic procedures.

* Source: Icelandic Tourist Board

This Agreement will enter into force on the date the two countries notify each other of the completion of their domestic procedures for its ratification. Once the Agreement is in force, it will provide the legal foundation for the regular operation of flights by airlines from both countries. This is expected to contribute to the expansion of people-to-people and material exchanges between the two nations in various fields, including tourism, trade and investment.

Furthermore, days before the signing of the Agreement, the aviation authorities of both countries held aviation talks in November and agreed to establish traffic rights for three flights per week. Code-sharing among airlines is also permitted, which is expected to allow Korean citizens to purchase connecting flight tickets to Iceland from domestic airlines in a single transaction, thus offering greater convenience in booking and check-in procedures.