South Korea has imported twice as many cats and dogs this year compared with two years ago, as people spend more time at home amid the protracted COVID-19 pandemic, customs data showed.

According to the data by the regional customs office in Incheon, a main gateway for trade located about 40 kilometers west of Seoul, the number of cats and dogs brought in to the country via air carriers reached 10,241 in the January-August period this year, including 7,961 canines and 2,280 felines.

The combined figure was double that of the same period of 2019, when 4,165 dogs and 1,057 cats were imported. (Yonhap)