The Russian government is discussing the resumption of direct flights with South Korea.

Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrey Rudenko said in an interview with the newspaper Izvestia on Monday that airlines from the two countries are in contact with each other.

Rudenko reportedly said that Russian companies are maintaining continuous contact and that much depends on the stance of the authorities, voicing hope for a positive outcome.

The remark comes nearly three and a half years after direct flights between South Korea and Russia were suspended following Russia's launch of its “special military operation” in Ukraine in February 2022. 

Before that, Korean Air and Aeroflot Airlines operated direct routes connecting Incheon, Busan, Jeju and the Gyeonggi provincial city of Gimpo with Moscow, Vladivostok and St. Petersburg, Russia.

Rudenko provided no details on how far the discussions have progressed.