Korea and Japan to launch dedicated immigration lanes in June

Korea and Japan will launch dedicated immigration lanes for each other’s citizens at key airports starting early next month, the Nikkei reported Thursday.

Travelers at Incheon International Airport's Terminal 1 on May 6 [NEWS1]

Korea and Japan will launch dedicated immigration lanes for each other’s citizens at key airports starting early next month, the Nikkei reported Thursday.

The pilot program will run for about a month at Haneda Airport and Fukuoka Airport in Japan, as well as Gimpo and Gimhae airports in Korea from June.

Unlike general immigration checks for foreign nationals, the exclusive lanes aim to shorten wait times and improve convenience for travelers from both countries. The two governments will assess the results of the trial run before deciding whether to make the program permanent.

The Nikkei said that Japan has never before set up dedicated immigration lanes for nationals of a specific country.

“The Japanese government sees promoting people-to-people exchanges as a cornerstone of bilateral relations,” the Nikkei reported.

The initiative comes as the two countries mark the 60th anniversary of normalizing diplomatic ties with the signing of the Treaty on Basic Relations on June 22, 1965.

Seoul and Tokyo have also discussed introducing a preclearance immigration system, where immigration officers are dispatched to each other’s airports to screen inbound passengers before departure. However, the two sides have yet to reach a final agreement due to logistical hurdles such as staffing.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY LEE HAY-JUNE [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]