Higher fuel costs, driven by the escalating Iran crisis and a weakening Korean won, are placing financial strain on airlines and passengers, forcing carriers to raise fuel surcharges and ticket prices. More travelers in Korea are reconsidering or canceling overseas trips as airfares rise. A soon-to-be-married traveler who had planned to visit Spain in September recently saw her projected travel cost jump from 1.6 million won ($1,061) to 2.4 million won, prompting her to reconsider the trip. Another traveler said a flight to Australia that was priced at 1.03 million won last month rose to 1.5 million won as of last weekend. Naver, the country’s largest online portal and a major e-commerce platform, recently posted a notice warning that airfares could rise by as much as threefold starting in April. It advised customers to book flights by the end of this month before higher fuel surcharges take effect. According to the notice, fares are expected to increase by up to 36,000 won for Osaka, 84,000 won for Bangkok and 196,500 won for Paris routes. The hike reflects a rise in the Mean of Platts