S. Korea's import of camping products jumps nearly 20 pct

SEOUL, June 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's import of camping gear increased nearly 20 percent on-year during the first four months of 2017 thanks to increasing interest in outdoor activities, government data showed Sunday.

South Korea imported US$27.73 million worth of camping gear during the January-April period, up 19 percent from a year earlier, according to the data by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Imports related to golf and fishing equipment also increased 11.6 percent and 13.1 percent on-year, respectively, to $139.78 million and $34.7 million each, it said.

The latest data then showed the inflow of hunting and shooting gear jumping 62.8 percent from $134,000 to $218,000 in the cited period.

"Despite sluggish economic growth, the spread of YOLO -- You Only Live Once -- culture seems to have contributed to the increase in the imports of leisure equipment," an industry official said.

scaaet@yna.co.kr
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