I am comparing two separate tickets through Incheon, landing at 06:10 and hoping to depart at 10:35 after collecting a checked suitcase and checking in again. I am worried that a missed connection or a landside transfer could turn a cheap itinerary into an entry problem, so I want the baggage, terminal, passport and onward-booking documents checked before I buy.
First map the physical steps: baggage collection and a new check-in usually mean asking whether immigration must be cleared, while a protected airside transfer may be assessed differently. Ask both carriers about through-checking, terminal access and minimum connection handling, and save their written replies; check the passport-specific Korean result before booking. Checklist: passport, both tickets, onward boarding plan, baggage policy and a contingency for a missed flight. Rules can depend on airport, date, carrier and passport, so the portal and airline confirmation are checks to repeat, not a guarantee: https://www.visa.go.kr/.