Korea Tourism Organization, United Airlines celebrate new Newark-Incheon route

The Korea Tourism Organization's (KTO) New York office and United Airlines on Friday marked the launch of a new nonstop route between Newark and Incheon — the only such route currently offered by a U.S. carrier — in a welcome event at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Newark Liberty International Airport, located in New Jersey near Manhattan, is one of three major airports serving the greater New York area, along with the John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, and serves as a key East Coast hub connecting roughly 200 cities in 60 countries.

The new route comes amid a surge in American visitors to Korea, driven in part by the global popularity of Korean content. Arrivals from the U.S. rose about 37 percent in 2025 from a year earlier to 1.4 million, and roughly 810,000 Americans visited Korea in the first half of this year, up 10.9 percent from the same period in 2025, according to KTO figures.

At the gate, passengers on the inaugural flight to Korea were greeted by KTO's tourism mascot characters and a performance by a fusion "gugak" (traditional Korean music) band.

Travelers received K-beauty travel kits and tourism brochures, and every seat on the flight was stocked with a fan featuring traditional Korean patterns. Before boarding, passengers could also sample traditional Korean snacks and drinks — including "sikhye," a sweet rice drink, and "yugwa," a fried rice confection — and try Korean calligraphy.

The head of KTO's New York office called the launch highly significant, noting it is the only nonstop service between the New York area and Korea operated by a U.S. carrier. KTO said it plans joint online marketing with United and familiarization trips for U.S. travel agents to help develop more Korea-bound travel packages.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.