(CNN) — If you’ve ever wanted to travel between Japan and South Korea, there’s no better time than now — air fares are as low as $8.38.
As a trade spat between the two countries drags on, travel between them is dropping — and so are flight prices.
It costs as little as 10,000 South Korean won ($8.38) to fly one-way from Seoul to Fukuoka on budget airline Eastar Jet right now, and only 1,000 Japanese yen ($9.35) the other way.
This is excluding tax and fuel surcharges — but still, added up, the prices are far lower than normal. The Eastar flight from Fukuoka to Seoul costs 7,590 yen ($71) with all the additional fees.
It’s particularly unusual since September usually sees higher ticket prices — many people travel to visit family for the national Chuseok holiday in mid-September, also known as Korean Thanksgiving.
Rising tensions
This is just the latest side-effect of the ongoing trade dispute, which started in July when Tokyo placed controls on South Korea exports of three chemical materials, which are used to make computer chips, among other things.
Tensions before then had been rising for months, stemming in part from Japan’s colonial rule over the Korean peninsula in the early 20th century.
Earlier in August, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the country was “a victim of great suffering from Japanese imperialism” in a statement on the conflict.
These declining travel figures are being reflected in airlines’ flight prices and schedules.
