The volume of cargo handled through South Korea's seaports hit a record high last year, driven by robust trade of machinery, automobiles and oil-related products, a government report showed Wednesday.

The combined volume of cargo moved in and out of seaports here came to 1.33 billion tons last year, up 1.6 percent from 1.31 billion tons a year earlier, according to the report by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs.

The annual figure was the highest ever recorded in South Korea, though the growth rate slowed sharply from the previous year's 8.9 percent gain, the report showed.

The increase is mostly driven by expanded trade through such major seaports located in Busan, Gwangyang and Pyeongtaek-Dangjin.

Busan, the country's largest seaport located in the southeastern area of the peninsula, saw a 5.9 percent increase in cargo handling last year. Gwangyang and Pyeongtaek-Dangjin seaports posted 7.1 percent and 5.1 percent rises over the same period, the report showed.

By item, machinery cargo handling jumped 16.9 percent, while automobiles and oil-related products posted 5 percent and 2.3 percent gains.

Meanwhile, the volume of container cargo handled through local seaports also increased 4.1 percent on-year to 22.49 million TEUs, or 20-foot equivalent units, in 2012. It exceeded the 20 million TEU mark for the second straight year, according to the report.

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Source: Yonhap News (Jan. 30, 2013)