South Korea's two flag carriers said Tuesday they plan to lower fuel surcharges for international flights next month on a recent fall in oil prices.

Korean Air (KSE:003490), the larger of the two, and Asiana Airlines (KOSDAQ:020560) said they will cut the surcharges by US$1 to $9, depending on the routes.

The cut, to take effect from Feb. 1, follows a drop in fuel oil prices. The price of fuel oil hovered at $1.75 per gallon, down from $1.82 a gallon the previous month, on the Singaporean spot market between Dec. 16 and Jan. 15, they said.

The carriers predicted the slight cuts in fuel surcharges would not cause a considerable rise in the number of air travelers.

"The planned reduction in fuel surcharges will have little influence on the number of outbound South Korean tourists," a Korean Air official said.

In mid-December, the two carriers raised the fuel surcharges for international lines following a rise in oil prices.