This upsurge, reported by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, was not only a new record but a significant achievement in relation to the drop observed in the country's overall imports and exports. A 5.9% year-on-year drop in overall exports to US$495.5bn, along with a 7.1% year-on-year decline in imports, to US$405.7bn, was reported by the Ministry. The increase in air cargo was attributed to a rise in outbound shipments to America, Europe and to emerging countries in Asia, the Ministry reported.
The volume of international cargo processed at the airport accounts for over 99% of all international air cargo to and from South Korea, while the value accounts for 27.6% of the country's overall trade, the Ministry added.
Increased air cargo to American and European states is attributable, at least in part, to a marked increase in the shipment of electronic devices, while growing demands for South Korean consumer goods are believed to have boosted air freight to major Asian markets, the Ministry went on to say.
