- Flight
- about 14.5 hours westbound
- Departs
- Incheon International
- Lands at
- Heathrow
- Time difference
- London is 8 to 9 hours behind
- Currency
- Pounds sterling, in cash
Seoul to London is about fourteen and a half hours westbound, and London is eight or nine hours behind. Korean Air and Asiana have flown it for years, and Virgin Atlantic joined them in 2026, so there is more choice than there was.
Why it takes so long
Incheon to Heathrow is not much further than Tokyo to Heathrow, and both take about the same time, which is longer than the distance suggests. Services route well south of Russian airspace. That is the whole explanation, and it is not going to change soon, so plan on fourteen and a half hours rather than the twelve you may have in your head.
The departure time decides your first day
Asiana leaves Incheon early in the morning and lands at Heathrow in the early afternoon. Korean Air leaves late morning and lands in the evening. The early departure means a long day but a usable London evening after a rest. The later one lands when you would reasonably go straight to bed, and gives you a clean first morning instead.
Neither is wrong. Pick the one that matches what you want your first night to be.
Arrange it from home
Nine hours is a wide gap, and the useful side of it is that your evening in Seoul is London’s working afternoon. Write then and you will get an answer the same day, which is much easier than trying to sort anything out once you have landed and are tired.
What to read first
The way booking works here is probably not what you are used to. Rates are per hour, agreed up front, and paid in cash in pounds. The booking guide covers the first message and the screening that usually follows it, and the visitor guide covers hotel etiquette.
The flight home
The flight home is the quicker one. Heading east you have the jet stream behind you rather than against you, which is worth about an hour on a route this long, so London back to Seoul is shorter than the flight you took to get here. Pleasant, and easy to forget when you are working out how much of the day the return will eat.
Before you book
Visitors from South Korea who do not need a visa still need an electronic travel authorisation, or ETA, before they fly. It is a short online application, and it should be made through the official GOV.UK ETA service, not a site that charges extra to do it for you. The rules change, so check them before you book.
When to get in touch
London runs 9 hours behind you. Messages sent between about 8pm and 8am your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come. For most people that is the evening and the night, so send in the evening and expect the answer to be waiting when you wake.
Areas near where you land at Heathrow
The big figure is the straight line distance from the airport in miles, and nothing about travel time, which in London is always longer. Each page has the stations, the route from Heathrow and the measured rates.
Also close to where you land, with no profiles of their own but a guide to getting there and how outcall works: Feltham, Hayes, Hounslow, Southall.
Other cities in East Asia
See every departure city
Cities with a similar flight time
Common questions
How long is the flight from Seoul to London?
The flight from Incheon International takes about 14.5 hours westbound. Add the connection time if your fare has a stop, and allow for getting to and through the airport at both ends.
What is the time difference between Seoul and London?
London is 8 to 9 hours behind. The United Kingdom and most other countries change their clocks on different dates, so for a few weeks each spring and autumn the gap shifts by an hour.
What time should I message from Seoul?
London runs 9 hours behind you. Messages sent between about 8pm and 8am your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come. For most people that is the evening and the night, so send in the evening and expect the answer to be waiting when you wake.
Which London airport do flights from Seoul land at?
Most land at Heathrow, about fifteen miles west of central London and on the Piccadilly line and the Elizabeth line. Some services use Gatwick, to the south, so check the airport on your ticket before you book a hotel.
Do I need an ETA to fly from Seoul to London?
Most visitors from South Korea who do not need a visa need an electronic travel authorisation, or ETA, before they fly. Apply through the official GOV.UK service only, and check the current rules before you book, because they change.
Do I need to arrange things before I fly?
It helps. Good diaries fill days ahead, and arranging from home means you are doing it awake and unhurried instead of jet lagged in an unfamiliar city.
Is escorting legal in the UK?
Yes, in England and Wales it is legal for two consenting adults to exchange sex or company for money. What is illegal is the activity around it, such as soliciting in the street, running a brothel or controlling someone else's work. The Crown Prosecution Service sets this out in its published guidance.
Is prostitution legal in the UK?
Selling and buying sex between consenting adults is not itself a crime in England, Wales or Scotland. Northern Ireland is the exception, where paying for sex has been an offence since 1 June 2015. Public soliciting, brothel keeping and exploiting another person's work are offences in different forms across the UK.