[THE INVESTOR] Marking an ample bounce back from last year’s deflated numbers during the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak, sales of South Korea’s duty-free stores reached their highest point in July, helped by a continuing swell of Chinese travelers, data showed Aug. 23.

Sales at duty-free stores nationwide reached US$954 million last month, up 4.1 percent from the previous month’s $869 million, according to data compiled by the Korea Duty Free Association.

July sales marked the highest since the association began compiling related data in January 2009, and nearly double the $461 million a year prior, the data showed.

The rising number of international travelers also helped boost duty-free revenue.

The number of travelers at duty-free shops reached 4.33 million last month, up 56 percent from a year earlier. From the previous month, the July figure is up 4.2 percent.

The data comes amid concerns Seoul’s decision to place an advanced antimissile defense system on its soil may take a toll on local tourism, as China strongly denounced the move as a security threat.

(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)