GUIYANG -- Direct air routes linking Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou province, with Seoul, the Republic of Korea (RoK), and Tokyo, Japan, are expected to be launched in April and August respectively, according to China Southern Airlines on Wednesday.

There will be three flights between Guiyang and Seoul, capital of the RoK and two flights between Guiyang and the Japanese capital each week, according to the airline.

Guizhou, a mountainous, lesser-developed province in southwest China, currently has international routes with Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand as well as Osaka, Japan.