Ireland is actively negotiating a bilateral aviation agreement with South Korea that could establish direct flights between Seoul and Dublin, Irish Minister of State for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports Sean Canney confirmed during a visit to the South Korean capital.

The Korea Times reported that Ireland's Department of Transport and Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport are working on a passenger licensing framework that would allow airlines to operate direct services between the two countries.

"We are working to get an agreement in place between the two governments," Canney said.

He added: "Once the passenger agreement is finalised, airlines can assess the viability of operating a direct service."

More than 22,000 travellers move between Ireland and Korea each year. "Business people who travel frequently between the two countries would welcome a direct flight. It would make travel simpler, more efficient and more attractive for both business and tourism," Canney said.

Beyond aviation, discussions extended to rail and emerging transport technologies. Ireland recently placed an order worth approximately €150 million for Hyundai Rotem train carriages to be delivered by 2030, bringing cumulative rail procurement from the Korean manufacturer to over €1 billion.

Cooperation on autonomous vehicles also featured, with Canney acknowledging Korea's more advanced regulatory framework. "You are a little ahead of us here in Korea. We want to share ideas and experiences so we can learn from what is happening here," he said.

Ireland has also allocated approximately €2 billion for the initial phase of the Dublin MetroLink project, with Korean tunnelling and infrastructure companies identified as potential partners.

Discover the full scope of Ireland's transport ambitions with South Korea here.