Gatwick Airport has confirmed Korean Air - the national carrier of South Korea - is to launch three weekly flights from Gatwick to Seoul on April 29th this year from the newly renovated North Terminal.

A Boeing 777 aircraft will be deployed on the route, providing a choice of 225 seats in Economy Class, 28 in Prestige (business) Class and eight in First Class.

Guy Stephenson, Gatwick Airport’s chief commercial officer said: “We are very excited to welcome Korean Air to Gatwick.

“South Korea remains one of Asia’s fastest growing economies and an important growth market for the UK.

“It is critical therefore that the UK has strong connections to this country and we are pleased that the airline has chosen to grow its London-Seoul route from Gatwick.

“We will work in partnership with Korean Air to help make this route a success and look forward to building a strong, long-term relationship with them.”

South Korea is not just an important business destination.

It also appeals to the adventurer, with the country offering many historical tourist attractions including the ancient capitals of Seoul, Gyeongju and Buyeo.

Some natural landmarks include the peaks of the Baekdudaegan, particularly Seorak-san and Jiri-san, the caves of Danyang and Hwanseongul, and beaches such as Haeundae and Mallipo.

Travellers can also connect on to Korean Air’s network in the Far East and Australasia, including flights to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Auckland.

Jeong Soo Park, general manager of Korean Air’s London office said: “We are pleased to announce our UK route frequency increase with the introduction of London’s Gatwick Airport.

“In addition to increasing the choice for our business travellers, we also look forward to welcoming leisure passengers looking to travel to Asia and beyond.

“This expansion reflects our ongoing commitment to providing convenient flight times and access to South Korea, as well as onward connections to South East Asia and Australasia.

“We look forward to welcoming our first customers through Gatwick this year and building a long-term relationship with the airport.”

Under new ownership, Gatwick is targeting long-haul routes to better connect the UK with emerging markets of the world.

AirAsia X have recently switched their London home to Gatwick from Stansted, enabling passengers to fly direct to Kuala Lumpur and connect onto AirAsia’s extensive route network across South East Asia.

On December 9th 2011 Vietnam Airlines launched, for the first time ever, direct flights from the UK via Gatwick to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, helping to make Gatwick the new Asian gateway for London.

Gatwick also recently announced that Hong Kong airlines will be launching all-premium flights to Hong Kong in March and Air China will launch non-stop, four weekly services to Beijing beginning May 2nd 2012.

Korean Air was recently voted Asia’s Leading Airline First Class by the World Travel Awards.