South Korean travelers using Korean air carriers reached nearly 84 percent of pre-pandemic levels in the first half of this year, government data showed.

From January to June, the number of passengers on domestic and international routes amounted to 53.4 million, or 83.9 percent of the tally reported during the same period in 2019, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a press release.

The number of passengers on domestic routes in the first half of 2023 stood at 32.7 million, or 61.4 percent of the total, up 1.2 percent from four years ago. (Yonhap)