With South Korean travellers increasingly seeking new destinations to explore, Korean Air will begin a twice-a-week service on June 29 from Incheon International Airport in Seoul to Irkutsk, one of the biggest cities in Siberia famous for ornate, continental architecture and being the gateway to Lake Baikal.
This Seoul-Irkustsk route brings the number of destinations served by Korean Air in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region to five, with the other four being Moscow, Vladivostok, St Petersburg and Tashkent (Uzbekistan).
The carrier will operate the flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays from Seoul, flying passengers on the Boeing B737-800 aircraft, which seats up to 145 in a two-class configuration. Flight KE983 will depart Incheon International Airport at 2030 and arrive in Irkutsk Airport the following morning at 0045. The return flight will depart Irkutsk at 0300 and arrive back in Seoul at 0630.
“We have launched this service just in time for the peak tourist season this summer. Many Korean tourists love to visit Lake Baikal, also a Unesco World Heritage Site,” said a Korean Air spokesperson.
Lake Baikal is one of the biggest and most ancient lakes of world, set 445 metres above sea level.
Irkutsk has a unique history of being a place of exile for many Russian artists, officers and nobles involved in the Decembrist revolt against Tsar Nicholas I. They built an interesting culture here as well as ornate wooden houses with hand-carved decorations that have survived till today. It has gained a reputation as the "Paris of Siberia". Located at the border of Russia and Mongolia, the city is also a business hub for the Siberian region, as well as a heavy industry and energy production centre.
For more information, visit www.koreanair.com
Rachael Ho
