Hansung Airlines is likely to start international flights around June this year.

The budget carrier said on Jan. 28 that it has lined up investments from Marathon Asset Management, a global investment company, and Basco Asia, a Hong Kong-based investment management company, to offer international service. Each investor has put in US$5 million.

The investments bring Hansung's capital to W20 billion (US$1=W947), the required amount to offer regular flights. The company will be entitled to operate international flights in June, when it will have completed 20,000 flight operations on domestic routes since its launch two years ago.

South Korea's Ministry of Construction and Transportation requires budget carriers to operate 20,000 flights in South Korea over at least two years before flying internationally.

Hansung plans to focus on Korea-Japan routes that large carriers do not serve with fares about half the cost of other airlines.

Founded in August 2005, Hansung is South Korea's first low-cost carrier. First offering service on the Cheongju-Jeju route, Hansung now operates 11 daily flights between Gimpo and Jeju and four daily flights between Cheongju and Jeju.