Korea Incheon Customs data show that between January and August this year, cat and dog imports were twice as high as two years ago. Customs officials said that the delay in ending the new coronary outbreak and the longer lives of people contributed to the new surge in pet farming.
According to data released by Incheon Customs on 22 August, the total number of cats and dogs entering the country by air between January and August this year was 1,024, of which 2280 were cats and 7961 were dogs. The total was approximately twice the same period before the outbreak in 2019, an increase of about 10 per cent over the same period last year.
Incheon, located about 40 kilometres west of Seoul, the capital of Korea, is the main trade point for Korea. According to Incheon Customs, the sharp increase in the import of cats and dogs is due in large part to the fact that people live longer in their homes as a result of preventive measures during the epidemic.
A report by the Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food indicates that, as of October last year, more than 6.3 million households had pets, an increase of 470,000 over the previous year. According to the estimates in the report, there are currently approximately 8.6 million pet cats and dogs in Korea.