International passenger and cargo traffic by ship set record high

The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs says that passenger and cargo transport by international ships set a new record in the first half of this year thanks to the recent economic recovery and growing demand for travel and international cargo transport.

The number of passengers who traveled by ship during the first half of this year amounted to 1,289, up by 32.7% compared to the same period of last year, exceeding the highest record of 1,266 in 2008.

This is largely due to a surge in outbound tourists as the economy and foreign exchange rate are stabilizing. An increase in the number of Chinese tourists to Korea also helped. By route, passenger traffic on Korea-China routes recorded 682,000, up by 32.5% compared to last year thanks to new route openings and increased tourism.