South Korea will begin the construction of an airport on Ulleung Island later this month, with an aim to open the country's second island airport in 2025, the transport ministry said Sunday.

The government will inject 665.1 billion won ($597 million) to build the Ulleung airport with a 1,200 meter-long runway and a passenger terminal. Flight services on 50-seat airplanes will be offered at the airport, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement.

"The travel time between Seoul and Ulleung Island in the East Sea will be dramatically shortened to one hour from seven hours if the airport is built and flights services begin," a ministry official said in the statement.

The government conducted a feasibility study in 2013 and has recently completed an environmental effects evaluation study. A consortium led by Daelim Industrial Co. plans to break ground for the airport on Nov. 26, it said. (Yonhap)