Passenger travel on Korea-Chinese routes stayed at 13 percent of pre-pandemic levels in the January-April period in contrast with a rapid recovery in other Asian routes, the transport ministry said Monday.

In the first four months, the number of passengers on the routes between the two countries stood at 730,817, plunging from 5.65 million during the same period of 2019, according to data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

But passenger travel on many other Asian routes is on the path to recover to the pre-COVID-19 levels.

The number of passengers on the Korea-Japan routes recovered to 71.8 percent of the pre-pandemic level during the same period, with that of passengers on the routes to Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines at 82.2 percent, 82.9 percent, and 71.4 percent, respectively, the data showed.

In particular, passenger travel on the routes to Mongolia and Singapore rebounded to 136.4 percent and 138 percent of the pre-pandemic levels, respectively, during the mentioned period.

South Korea remains excluded from 60 countries approved by Chinese authorities as destinations for group tour packages for Chinese people. (Yonhap)