The government said it will no longer recognize English proficiency test results Korean pilots score in Canada.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Friday that the English-speaking test administered by the Canadian aviation authority is so easy that it cannot discern test-takers' proficiency accurately.

It also says the Canadian test failed to meet the evaluation requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in many ways.

The ministry, which issues and manages pilot licenses here, has rejected the recognition since Oct. 19.

The denial is expected to continue indefinitely, ministry officials said. The ministry is in talks on the issue with the Canadian aviation authority and the ICAO to settle the issue.

Under Korean aviation law, pilots have to receive a level 4 or higher in a state-administered English-speaking test for international flights.

Those who pass the highest level of 6 are immune from the test permanently. Achievers under level 6 have to take the test every three to five years.

Canada has its own test for pilots and Korea has recognized the Canadian results since 2008.

At the core of the recent controversy is that the Canadian test is claimed to be so easy that Korean pilots who achieved level 4 or less in Korea have earned level 6 in Canada.

"The Canadian test is so easy. That's the problem," said a transportation ministry official dealing with the issue told The Korea Times, Friday. "It was confirmed that between 2012 and 2015, there were 133 (Korean) pilots who earned level 6 in Canada but failed to earn level 4 in Korea."

He said the ministry takes the case "very seriously" because pilot's English proficiency directly affects the safety of passengers.

The ministry was first aware of the problem two weeks ago as the number of Korean pilots taking the test in Canada has increased significantly recently.

The official said the Canadian test has several flaws in evaluation.

"The ICAO guideline suggests the lowest score in the six test areas be recognized as a test-taker's proficiency level. But the Canadian rule is too generous, awarding low achievers level 6," he said.

The official also raised question over fairness and transparency in Canada's evaluation system.

"In Korea, three independent evaluators jointly score a test-taker's proficiency based on recorded dialogue. In Canada, however, only one state-appointed evaluator does the work, which I think lacks fairness and transparency," the official said.

He said the Canadian evaluation is by far generous, compared with that of the United States.

In the U.S., the level 6 is a "symbolic" score where no one is allowed to reach, he said. "By making level 6 off-limits, the U.S. aviation authority mandates all pilots to take the test regularly," he said.

Some pilots claim the Korean test has problems, especially in terms of difficulty level. They said the Korean test is "unnecessarily difficult."