South Koreans frequently visiting the United Kingdom with entry visa will be able to use the quick immigration checkpoint at British airports, the South Korean Embassy here said Monday.

The new system is effective from Monday as the British government included South Koreans in its registered travelers system.

Registered foreigners including South Koreans entering the country through international airports will now be able to use either ePassport gates or immigration checkpoints for local Britons/EU nationals.

Immigration procedures will take up to 10 minutes from the usual one hour if the travelers are newly registered in the system, according to the embassy.

A 70 pound ($100) registration fee is required for those eligible Korean travelers to use the quick service.

Requirements for the service are limited to those who have visited Britain at least four times in the past year for business, academic, education, sightseeing or medical treatment purposes.

Those Koreans who possess permanent residence or entry visas are also eligible for quick service through the registration system.

The South Korean embassy said the British government appears to have judged South Koreans as being safe from a security perspective.

Approximately 300,000 South Koreans visit Britain annually, of them some 30,000 for business purposes, the embassy said. (Yonhap)