The number of passengers using international ferry services in and out of Korea rose to a record high last year, bolstered by rebounding economic conditions, the government said Tuesday.

International ferry passengers totaled 2.77 million last year, up 32.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs.

The figure was the highest ever, exceeding the previous annual record of 2.55 million in 2007.

The increase is attributed to rebounding economic conditions, which bolstered overseas traveling to neighboring countries.

Passengers using ferry services linking Korea to China jumped 30.2 percent, while travelers on the Korea-Japan route spiked 36.1 percent from a year earlier, the ministry said.(Yonhap News)

Meanwhile, the volume of container cargo handled by international ferry services also jumped to an all-time high, reaching 549,000 TEUs, or 20-foot equivalent units, up 22.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the ministry. (Yonhap News)