South Korea and Portugal have initialed an agreement that may allow operation of direct flights connecting the two countries, the Seoul government said Saturday.
  
The bilateral air transport agreement was initialed at the end of two-day talks held in Lisbon on Friday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  
If signed, the agreement will provide the legal foundation for direct flights for passengers and cargo between the two countries.
  
It will also allow code-sharing, under which one carrier can sell its tickets on another's flight. It is aimed mostly at boosting revenue by increasing passenger seats and flight destinations without requiring a carrier to use its own airplanes.
  
"There has been an increasing demand for flights to southern Europe from Asian countries, including South Korea, China and Japan," a ministry official said. "If the new service is launched, we will be able to attract more transfer passengers by occupying the market in advance." (Yonhap)